Queen
by Camy.MD
Summary: "How does it feel to be the new queen of the Hamptons?" We all laugh, in a way it's true… I slowly took Victoria's place and now I made sure she will never take it again. what happens after Emily tells the truth?" Set during-after Endurance. *Emily's POV* -Now Complete-
1. Queen

**Queen**

_Hi again! This is my last kind of canon story, since I'm used to writing after important episodes, from now on I believe I will limit myself to very AU Aimily or Nemily fics… anyway, I saw "Endurance" the other day, and I couldn't take this idea out of my head… I hope you enjoy it, just like I did writing it. _

_*Emily's POV*_

_Revenge and all its characters belong to ABC, I'm just borrowing them for some fun. _

**~A&E~**

I shake my head, this cannot be happening… no, no they didn't just take everything from me; they had my past and my present, why? They don't need my future too. I want to scream, I want to watch Victoria's face as I yell once and for all "I am Amanda Clarke" but I'm not strong enough and now, I think I never will…I can't lose anything else…

"Emily?" Charlotte calls me, and I can feel the hesitation in her voice "Can I come in?" she asks, I make a signal for her… if I talk, I won't be able to stop or maybe I'm not able to talk at all. "What's wrong?" she asks truly concerned, I try to smile to cover it up but she doesn't buy it… she sits near me and takes my hands, "Emily?"

"I can't have children" I say softly, once again feeling the pain of those four words in my heart. She closes her eyes, apparently feeling the pain too "I'm so sorry" she hugs me, as tight as she can and we both cry.

I don't realize how long it's been, but I have to admit her support give me some peace, "I think…I used to think I didn't want children you know?" I confess to her and she smiles sadly "But now, the feeling is there… I understand" she says quietly, touching her abdomen "I was the same, until I found out I was pregnant- a silent tear rolls down her cheek and she cleans it quickly- and then, I wasn't a mom anymore" from the look she's giving me, I can tell she's far away. This time I hug her, "You will be an awesome mom Charlotte" I whisper, she looks at me… "You will too Emily"

Niko lets me know about Victoria's plan, and that gives me the perfect ending for this game I'm finally tired to play… I quickly change my box's content, I'm pretty sure she will be glad to discover the copy of Mason's new book, which I must say I took to a publisher myself… my final way to honor my father's name.

Daniel was only supposed to be my way in into the Grayson's household, and somehow he ended up being my final act, the final blow to the already weak floor protecting them from the very high fall. I feel powerful standing in that balcony while the press waits for my statement, "Thank you all for coming, due to my weakened condition my announcement will be a brief one, in the past few days since my in-laws brought me home I have endured more pain than I thought humanly possible…but I believe because of this journey- I take a deep breath and a minute to enjoy the moment- my memory has returned, there's been much speculation as to who shot me and I want to set the record straight… it was Daniel Grayson" Everyone gasps and I enjoy seeing the effect of my words on Victoria's body, "Because I deeply fear for my life, I will be leaving right now… I'll see you in court Daniel, oh and I want a divorce too" After that everything is kind of a blur, the police comes to arrest Daniel, Victoria screams I'm lying and Conrad seems… absent of the whole show; all I know for sure is that the Graysons will never recover from this.

Aiden is waiting for me in Nolan's place, "You remember everything?" he asks without being able to hide his fear from me. "Please, tell me you haven't forgotten about us" I slowly take his hands, "How could I ever forget you?" I say with a smile on my face, taking away his fears… we kiss, slowly, deeply, showing the other how we really feel.

"It's over" I say, the safety of his arms allowing me to speak freely "I told the truth to the press and Mason's book is now on every single bookstore in the states, it's finally over…we don't have to hide anymore" I look up, the way his eyes shine assuring me this is the right decision.

"Mason's book?" He asks, and I realize I forgot to tell him about it. "Yeah, he's telling Amanda's history" surprised, he hugs me tighter, "so, you…" "I'm clean; I promised Amanda I was going to protect her family and I can't do that from prison, and Mason was released a couple of days ago… I gave him all the evidence he needed" He kisses my head, "you're amazing" he says proud and I blush "I try"

While we lay in bed together, everything comes back to me "Aiden…there's something you need to know" he stops playing with my hair "What's going on?" I can tell he is concerned, I look away because I don't know if I'm able to watch his reaction "I… I can't have children…the wounds were too deep" Tears start falling and I don't have the energy to try and stop them, gently he makes me look at him "Emily, I love you" "and I love you too but…wha" "we'll figure it out, right now you're the only one I need, I can't live without you Ems… I don't care about that, besides there are other ways to have a family" He interrupts me, and while I try to absorb his words, he keeps kissing me "I don't know what I would do without you" I say "let's hope we never have to find out…you need to sleep my love" and in his arms I finally let myself rest.

The next morning comes too quickly, I wake up first… Aiden took care of me during the night, slowly I walk into the kitchen "good morning Nolan" I say softly, "Hey Ems, how was your night?" "Good" He puts a coffee in front of me "Thank you" He winks, "It's nothing Ems… Aiden told me you won't need the fake ID's after all" I smile "No… I am free, it's over" He takes my hand "you almost gave me a heart attack Ems" "I know…" "Are you sure this is what you want?" I sigh, this is going to be hard, I take his hand "You know what was the hardest part about losing my identity? At first I thought it was that feeling of having no past and a confusing present but then… the hardest part was remembering all over again, all the pain that I… all the things I did" before I know it I'm crying in his arms, "Shh, Ems… please don't cry, it's over…it's over" He repeats it like a mantra, that strangely calms me down. "You're right, now we have to call my lawyer" Nolan looks at me puzzled, "I need a divorce silly" He laughs "Right"

Aiden carefully wraps his arms around my waist and kisses me, "Good Morning" I get closer to him, "Morning" Nolan looks at us with a smile on his face, "How does it feel?" "what?" Aiden and I ask at the same time "how does it feel to be the new queen of the Hamptons?" We all laugh, in a way it's true… I slowly took Victoria's place and now I made sure she will never take it again.

A week later I sit in Nolan's office with the divorce papers in my hands, I won't receive a single dollar from Daniel… instead I made him give Margaux his part of Voulez, and of course, she helped me bury Daniel even deeper. "Are those…?" Aiden asks "yeah, I just signed them…now I have to give these to Daniel and I will be single again" I kiss him.

With my lawyer by my side, I enter the police station… I feel Daniel's eyes on me, but I don't let him bother me "Here are the divorce papers, just sign them" I say, not trying too hard to hide the venom in my voice. He's not able to look at me, my lawyer gives him the papers and a pen…a few seconds and it's over "Have a nice life Daniel" I get out of there as quickly as I can, and surprise… "Sara, I didn't expect to see you here so soon" I keep my face as free of emotions as I can, but I can see the hate in hers "YOU! YOU RUINED EVERYTHING, HE'S INNOCENT!" she screams and tries to grab me, "Sara! Listen to me!" I yell at her, she doesn't deserve to live in a lie "He SHOT me… he heard something he didn't like about me and the first thing he does is shoot me, he is the one that wanted to continue this whole show because heaven forbid THE Daniel Grayson does something inappropriate… this could've been as simple as a conversation and getting an annulment or even easier just a simple break up, but no… he had to throw an attempt of murder into the mix" this time my anger hits her hard, "He told me the truth, the fake pregnancy, everything!" "Sadly I could never confirm my pregnancy, remember? The press didn't let me enter my doctor's office…and now, thanks to your lovely Danny I won't be able to have kids again" Her mouth is wide open, "He told me he didn't do it" I laugh "Sara, please… you're smarter than this, he lied to you! Maybe for a minute he thought he would get away with this but now, he confessed Sara…please open your eyes before it's too late for you too" I've done enough damage, I turn around without saying goodbye… I'm sure I gave her a lot to think about.

Aiden is waiting for me by the pool, "Are you ok?" "Yes… he signed them without trouble" "Good" He runs his fingers through my hair "I ran into Sara… poor thing swallowed everything Daniel told her" He doesn't say anything; we enter the house in silence.

The night comes and Nolan gladly opens his door, Jack, Carl and Margaux are here… and what makes me happier is to see a copy of Mason's book _Revenge _in Jack's hands. Aiden helps me stand up, "Hello" Margaux says shyly, I hug her "Don't be shy, we're all friends around here" she smiles and her eyes light up. Apparently Nolan spent the whole day in the kitchen, "the dinner is wonderful Nolan" She says sincerely, "it was nothing" He says blushing, she takes Jack's hand and I realize she wants to tell us something "Emily… I want to say thank you" I don't say anything and she continues "Daniel's lawyer called me today, I'm the only owner of Voulez" the smile on her face is all the payment I needed "and your story is a success, I… don't know how to thank you" I smile too, "you don't need to thank me, I'm just glad the story is out there…and that Voulez is doing so well" "I just can't believe it yet… all these years being friends with them and I didn't know them at all, I mean…I read _Revenge_ and all the things they did to poor Amanda, to David Clarke…" Aiden squeezes my hand under the table, while Margaux looks at Jack "But now, justice finally caught them" we all smile, "I believe this deserves a toast, for justice, friends, Amanda, David and family" Nolan stands up, "cheers!" we say together.

I'm in the living room with Carl, Nolan trying to convince the guys to do some kind of party to celebrate our victory; Margaux sits beside me and Carl immediately wants to go with her "You wanna be in Margaux arms?" I ask him sweetly while I give her the baby, she smiles at him which makes him smile. "I know Amanda was your best friend…" she's trying to talk about the book "she was my sister" "I'm sorry…for what happened" "don't be, I…was with her, she wasn't alone" she closes her eyes and says, "I love him" almost a whisper but I hear her "I know, and as long as you make each other happy, I am happy and I'm sure Amanda is happy too…I promised her I will always take care of her family and I can't think of someone better than you" she takes one of my hands, touched by my words "You can't imagine how much this means to me, thank you Emily" I smile, and we both keep playing with Carl.

The justice system apparently works faster when you are a millionaire, a month later Daniel's sentence is public knowledge, "25 years isn't so bad…" Nolan smiles, Aiden doesn't really care "what about Conrad and Victoria?" "rest of their lives, especially now that Charlotte found out about what truly happened with Declan and added her own charges into Conrad already very long list" I say quietly, "why that voice?" my friend asks concerned, I sigh "don't get me wrong, I'm happy…but Charlotte, I don't want her to suffer" Aiden sits right beside me "She's a Clarke, she'll get through this" and I believe him, because even if it turns out to be too much for her I'll be by her side, we'll be by her side… like the family we are.

"Miss Thorne, what do you think about your ex-husband relationship with Sara Munello?" a journalist caught me by surprise, but I take off my sunglasses "It's been almost 2 months since our divorce, I truly don't care what he's doing, I stopped caring the day he decided to shoot me… and as far as Miss Munello is concerned, she's a grown woman fully capable to make her own decisions… if she wants to wait for him, then let her" My sunglasses cover the smile on my eyes. Finally, I took the Graysons down… I won the battle against the ice queen.


	2. Long Life To The Queen

Chapter Two: Long life to the queen

I needed a break from the Hamptons, well Aiden and I needed one; "After this we will have reporters on our door the whole summer" Aiden says angry, it's been a long year away from home, and I'm happy to be back… I take his hand and he kisses my head, "well, what were you expecting?" After the whole Graysons' scandal, I became some sort of trending topic here, and with the announcement of my engagement with Aiden… well I was sure this was going to happen when we were back. We answer a couple of questions about our past, how he was there for me during my recovery, how he proposed (nobody needed to know that happened before my divorce), and that sort of stuff… "Are you planning to do it this summer?" I smile, "actually yes, I'm pretty sure I can pull it together before the end of the summer" with that they leave our door, "Now we can be alone for a while" Aiden kisses me deeply, and I don't let him go until my lungs ask me to. Neither of us realized Nolan was in our house, "Now that's a real kiss" he says with a smile on his face, "If I had known our neighbor would be so annoying I would've gone back to my cabin" I say joking. We decided to buy a house right next to Nolan's place, the cabin held so many bad memories… "you love me too much Ems" he says while he hugs me "welcome home" "thanks, we missed you" "I'm sure you did" he raises his eyebrows and Aiden laughs "let's just say we missed you, when we weren't busy…" he says and Nolan makes a funny face "too much information my friend"

We have a quiet dinner, just the three of us, talking about everything and nothing… "Did you know Mason wrote a sequel for _Revenge_?" Nolan says suddenly, and I'm surprised "Really?" He nods "yeah, it's a weird mix between the Victoria/David romance and Conrad's point of view of the whole thing… he called it _Falling_" Aiden looks confused and I… "I can't wait to read it then"

The next days go by really fast; I have a lot of things to do for the engagement party and even with Margaux and Charlotte's help, a week from now I'm still not sure if I'll have everything ready. "Ok Emily, now I need one of you and Aiden" Voulez is in charge of everything press related, I'm so glad for the success the magazine has here in the states… I come back to the present while Aiden wraps his arms around me for the picture, I get closer to his body and whisper I love you, he smiles at me…his eyes shining. "Beautiful guys!" Margaux says excited, I smile because I see Jack standing behind her but he puts his finger in his mouth and I stay quiet. I'm so happy for them, she squeals when Jack hugs her from behind but quickly recovers and gives him a peck on the lips, he smiles. "Now it's time for the bridesmaids" I yell, and she laughs "who said that?" Charlotte yells, "Not without me girls" I enjoy the photo shoot with my friends. Later, we decide to join Nolan at his place "For Voulez" I say raising my glass "cheers!" everyone but Margaux drink, so I secretly drag her out and from the look on her face she already knows I know. "Congratulations!" I hug her "thank you Ems… I thought nobody would notice" "have you told him yet?" she shakes her head "what are you waiting for?" I say excited "I don't know" "How far?" "according to my doctor 9 weeks" she smiles and touches her barely existent belly, I hug her again "Let's go, you have to tell him now" I drag her back into the room with a huge smile on my face, Aiden looks at me and I can see the question in his eyes, I hope mine can tell him to wait and see.

Margaux takes Jack's hand, that will get his attention and even though we can't hear what she's saying, the way his eyes light up let me know everything I need. He picks her up and kisses her senseless, I smile again as I see her relax into his arms. Nolan is about to burst "Ok, I can't hold it anymore… what's going on? And why are you smiling like the Cheshire cat?" he says pointing to me, "It's not my place to say it Nolan" we all laugh of his reaction "don't be cruel, please please tell me!" he begs and apparently Jack takes pity on him… "well guys, Margaux and I…" he takes a very deep breath just to annoy Nolan, "We're pregnant!" He says and we all get around them quickly congratulating the couple "Now we have one more reason to celebrate!" Aiden brings more champagne.

Later in the night, Aiden and I lay together in bed "Are you ok?" he asks me, with him I can't pretend "Yeah- I say barely above a whisper- I'm happy for them, I really do but…" he holds me tighter "but it's still hard" I close my eyes to stop the tears "yeah it is" he kisses me softly, "one step at the time my love, let's get married first" I smile, he always knows what to say to make me feel better.

The week flies by, "there won't be any shooting tonight right?" Jack asks joking and I push him "that was a onetime thing" I smile at him before Aiden steals me for another dance, we're surrounded by people…everyone wanted to be a part of our party, and of course being covered by Voulez, every socialite in the Hamptons is here. "I love you so much" I whisper in Aiden's ear, he smiles "and I love you too Emily, I can't imagine my life without you" "I don't want to imagine that, let's enjoy our party my very, very sexy fiancé" he kisses me slowly and I immediately kiss him back, pouring all my feelings into it… the room erupts in cheers and I blush, I hope Margaux took a picture of it. Nolan takes a microphone, "Ems, I still remember the first time I saw you and I can't believe how far we got, this time I know I'm giving my blessing to a great guy…Aiden, I know we weren't best friends at first but today I consider you my brother, and I know you will take care of my little sis just like she deserves, I love you both and I wish you a lifetime of happiness. For the happy couple!" we all raise our glasses. I hug Nolan later, "I love you too my friend".

Without realizing, we are in another party but this time is Margaux and Jack's turn to shine, while Charlotte and I take care of Carl, I see how nervous Jack looks and Charlotte notices the questioning look in my eyes "Pascal LeMarchal is here" "Oh" I say as realization hits me, meeting the father in law of your pregnant girlfriend isn't easy. Aiden sits near us, we are all watching the interaction between our friends and Pascal, "I'm so glad I didn't have to go through that" he says and I agree "yeah, me too" Charlotte laughs, "well it's relieving to know no one else will endure the pain of meeting my mom" we all agree. It seems like the meeting with Mr. LeMarchal went well, we can see the soon to be grandfather smiling at Jack while he kisses Margaux belly. We are all happy when he comes by to say hi and steal little Carl from us, saying he needed some time with his grandson.

A couple of days later, having an early lunch with Charlotte and Margaux, we put together the final details for my wedding "now this will definitely be THE wedding of the century" Margaux says serious, but I hear the excitement in her voice "Along with the fairytale ending of course" Charlotte adds, "I don't know what I would do without you" I tell them sincerely, we all smile. But apparently everything can't be perfect, on our way out we run into none other than Sara, I want to ignore her but she doesn't let me "Hello girls" she says "I don't think we have a lot to talk about right?" I say quietly, I don't want to make a scandal "why is that Emily? You want to forget the fact that you send an innocent man to prison" gladly the venom in her voice doesn't affect me, Charlotte, Margaux and I roll our eyes and before I can answer her Charlotte starts "would you please leave it alone? All the evidence is out there! Daniel shot Emily and for the first time in his life he's paying the consequences of his acts…I can't believe he's still lying to you… let's go, this isn't good for the baby" Sara is surprised, and I believe she thinks I'm the one that's pregnant, I smile at her and we go outside. I think I haven't laughed that hard in years.

Aiden and I sit outside our house "the moon looks beautiful tonight" I say, happiness radiating from my body "It does" he kisses my cheek and then I make a decision "I want to adopt" he looks at me, obviously surprised, but happy "I was thinking about it too" we kiss, that was all I needed. "I'll call my lawyer tomorrow then". Even if I know the process it's going to take at least a year, I already smile thinking about our baby. From what our lawyer tell us, the process shouldn't be so hard for us since we have financial stability and a good home…there's only one detail, we're not married yet, "Don't worry Tom, before the end of the summer we will bring you our marriage license"

And that's how we ended up here, I smile looking at my groom the way his eyes shine make me feel so loved… 15 minutes ago I decided not to care about my makeup, so the tears fall but I can't wipe off the smile on my face and why should I? it's my wedding day after all.

**~A&E~**

_I just couldn't resist! I'm already working on another chapter…_

_Kisses, Cami _


	3. What The Future Holds

Chapter Three: What the future holds

Being honest? I can't remember what happened during the ceremony… all I know is that I am now Mrs. Emily Mathis and I can't be happier. And also, this time I'm having a real family honeymoon, all of our friends are here: Nolan, Charlotte, Jack and Margaux, who just passed her first trimester. "Ok, Aiden I want you to go all _Titanic _with Emily" we laugh, and Margaux does her magic with the camera… "perfect!" she's excited, and Jack decides it's time to actually have some fun "I believe Voulez has enough right?" Margaux pouts but she agrees "You are right indeed" she kisses him. We all decided to go somewhere warm and after A LOT of arguing we settled with Aruba, and Pascal LeMarchal was happy to let us use his yacht and to watch Carl for the week. "we should take one with all of us" so, we follow Margaux instructions and she signals one of her photographers, I just keep smiling.

"I'm so excited, I wanna know the sex! Or do you guys want it to be a surprise?" Charlotte asks Margaux, she laughs "you know I wouldn't be able to wait, I have an appointment with my OB as soon as we get back so hopefully we will find out then" "and what's your instinct telling you?" I ask, excited for them too "Don't let Jack know but I think it's a girl" we squeal, "I'm gonna spoil her rotten" I say and Charlotte laughs "me too".

I can't sleep, the emotional rollercoaster finally catching up with me, I never thought I could be so happy… even with all that has happened around me I can say I am truly happy, I drop a kiss on Aiden's head… I love to watch him while he sleeps. I stand up; maybe some warm milk will help. With a cup in my hand I look at my emails one more time, still unable to believe…

_From: Thomas Robinson _

_To: Emily Mathis_

_Subject: Adoption _

_Mr and Mrs Mathis: first of all congratulations, I received your marriage license a few days ago and I'm happy to say everything is going really well, child services called yesterday to let me know that as soon as you're back from your honeymoon the social worker will pay you a second visit, don't worry it's not a bad thing, there's a pregnant teenager:17 year old-5 months into the pregnancy, and she thinks you will be the perfect family for her baby girl. I'll arrange everything, enjoy your honeymoon. _

_Kind regards, Thomas R._

"What are you doing up?" Charlotte asks me rubbing her eyes "Hey" I say softly and show her my cell, she takes her time reading every line carefully "Oh my god" she hugs me, "I know…this is why I can't sleep, we will be home in two days, what if something goes horrible wrong?" she takes my hands, just like she did when I told her I can't have children, "Emily please listen to me, you will be the perfect mother" I hug her again, "I… thank you Charlotte" we stay like that for a while, and I decide it's to go back to bed, we still have two days in Aruba and I want to make the most of them.

Before I know it, it's monday… Margaux just called to let us know she was on her way to the doctor and I… I am anxiously waiting for the social worker's approval. She takes her time, just like in her first visit but every once in a while she turns around and smiles at me. Aiden is way more relaxed than I am, he shows her absolutely everything. "I think I have all I need" she says, startling both of us "Here's my report, congratulations". With the paper still in my hands, I sit on the couch and let guard down, Aiden sits beside me and kisses me… we don't need words. A while later the phone rings, "it's Jack's number" I say excited "Hello?" "Hey Ems, Margaux and I just wanted to let you guys know we are having a girl!" Aiden looks at me "aaand?" he says as excited as I am "they're having a girl" I answer and he takes the phone "congratulations guys! And don't worry Jack, I'll be ready to scare all the boys from her" I can hear Jack's laughter.

Looking around me, I memorize every single object in the tiny office: a plant, a painting I cannot recognize, 2 sofas and a coffee table. We're meeting with Annie today; as soon as we were approved by the social worker she called us. From what Tom told us, Annie is very sweet and smart, and she wants the best for her baby. When she enters, I am the first to stand up "Mrs. Mathis, it's a pleasure to finally meet you" "please call me Emily sweetheart" She smiles, Aiden offers her his hand "Hello Annie" she blushes immediately "you're British?" "oh, yes… yes I am" I'm the question caught him off guard. "well, as you can see I'm like in the middle of my fifth month…and I have to say, while I was reading about you I just couldn't imagine someone better for her" we can't keep the smile out of our faces… "I love her, I really do, but I can't take care of her like she deserves" I take her hand, "you have to know that if you choose us we won't hide her from you" she smiles sadly "thanks for that, but I don't think I'll be able to see her… even if this isn't a closed adoption I…." she closes her eyes, Aiden can't resist anymore and sits beside her to comfort her "it's your decision Annie" she cries on his shoulder and my heart breaks for her, I would do anything to take her pain away. As we say our goodbyes, her clear eyes show me that maybe it's okay to have hope. "Everything will be fine, take care Annie" Aiden tells her softly, she hugs both of us "you will be great parents". A couple of days later Nolan surprises us with Thai food, "Guys… I gotta confess something" he says looking guilty, "what did you do?" Aiden asks as calm as possible, I'm instantly worried "I couldn't resist… I hacked into the database of Child services" "you WHAT?" I yell at him, "wait! Wait! Don't kill me yet…please, I… the girl you were meeting the other day, she picked you guys, like for real…you are now expecting a girl" he says sweetly and all the air returns to my lungs. Aiden picks me up and kisses me until air is necessary, "we're going to be parents".

Enjoying my weekly lunch with the girls, I tell them the good news, "the social worker called us yesterday" Charlotte can't stop herself "and what did she say?" my smile gets bigger "Aiden and I are parents!" both of them hug me and say how happy they are for us, I tell them a little about Annie and that our little bundle of joy will be here in about 3 months. Margaux puts her hands on her belly, "We finally chose a name" she says, and we patiently wait for her to say it "Simone Pascal Porter-LeMarchal" "It's beautiful Margaux" Charlotte says first, "I'm sure your father will be touched" I add.

Aiden and I decide it's time to celebrate, so we go to the city and enjoy our time together, "I still can't believe it you know?" he says, "Me either" we look at the other, and I take his hand "I love you Aiden Mathis" "And I love you Emily Mathis". When I thought I couldn't be happier, life surprises me with this, after all the pain and misery that surrounded me for years I can finally allow myself to be happy…and I'm pretty sure that my father is as happy as I am right now because I'm going to be a mom.

Margaux calls me a few weeks later, she's entering her fifth month and needs some advice "Well, Annie told me it wasn't that big of a deal but you already know her… I think labor is the only thing that scares her" she laughs "Did she look like a cow too?" and now it's my turn to laugh "Margaux, you look as beautiful as always! And your belly is perfect" I try to remember everything for her; sometimes it surprises me how easy it's to talk with her. "Take care of you and Simone, I love you both" "Bye Ems, love you too". I left the house in a hurry, Annie is waiting for me… she's now almost reaching her 7 month mark. "Hi Emily!" she hugs me as tight as she can, and surprisingly I could feel our baby kicking, my mouth is wide open and Annie smiles "I think she's happy to see you too" we go inside, "how are you feeling sweetie?" I ask her concerned, "very well, I mean this-she points her belly- is really uncomfortable and she decided that jumping on my bladder was her favorite to pass the time but other than that I'm good" I smile, "Oh don't bother mommy baby girl, she needs the rest" I say sweetly and Annie laughs "Not even born and already in trouble with your mom huh?" Tears try to fall but I manage to stop them, Annie takes a sip of her iced tea "You should name her, I don't wanna jinx it but the doctors say she could come out anytime from now on".

Aiden seems deep in thought, "so what do you think?" I ask him, he kisses me "I love it" I kiss him this time "Amelia Mathis" I smile, maybe we will never experience parenthood the same way Margaux and Jack does for example, but that doesn't mean our feelings aren't as strong as theirs, at the end of the day Paget might not be my biological daughter but she will be my daughter from the heart and that's more than enough for me and I'm sure Aiden is as excited as I am to call Annie, after all she deserves to know first… I don't think I'll ever be able to thank her enough; she gave me the greatest gift a woman in my position can ask for. "Hi Annie, you're on speaker" I say quickly "Hi guys" Annie cheerful voice fills our room "How's the school?" Aiden asks, he doesn't even realize how easily he became a father figure for her, "really good, just A's on my report card…mom is really happy about it" We laugh, "We're proud of you, you'll be a great actress Annie" I'm sure she blushed "Thanks, I hope Juilliard thinks the same next year" we keep talking about everything and nothing, until Aiden reminds me the real reason for our call, I clear my throat "Annie, guess what? We finally agreed on a name" this caught her attention "tell me!" "Amelia Mathis" "Aw guys it's beautiful" "thanks, we're glad you like it…otherwise we were going to change it" "It means a lot to me, you know that you care about my opinion… the social worker was always telling me that probably I wouldn't have a say in, well anything baby related once I choose a couple, but you have been so nice to me, this will never be easy but you definitely made it easier" A silent tear manages to escape, "you are forever related to us, don't forget that… are you still sure about your decision?" I ask her again, the first time we met she told us that once the baby was born we would lose contact "Em, I … I will never forget you guys, but it would be too much for me and for her… I already know she will be so loved, If someday she decides she wants to meet me maybe I'll do it but for now my decision is still the same" Aiden takes my hand "We understand Annie, good luck with the finals… see you next week ok?" "yeah, bye guys" He disconnects the call.

The next morning, Margaux calls me crying "Margaux what's wrong?" "nothing is wrong…" she says softly and I'm even more confused, "I don't understand" I tell her sincerely "Carl called me mommy" Oh, yes that would definitely have me in tears too; Carl is close to his second birthday and he's been calling Margaux by her name for several months now, "sweetie that's wonderful" I say excited, "I…I don't want to replace Amanda" "you aren't, Margaux listen to me knowing Amanda as well as I did, I know that she's thrilled Carl has such a loving mother figure in his life" Now I'm crying too.

Sometimes I wonder what my father would think of all this, and every time I put my hand on Annie's belly, play with Carl, share with my friends or even when I am with Aiden I feel so loved, so happy… I can feel him with me every step of the way. I realize I was wrong, the Graysons took my past, but the future is all mine.

**~A&E~**

_Again, I couldn't resist, I love the dynamic between all of them! I really really hope you like it. Oh, and the other one is still a work in progress but I want to wrap this up as soon as possible. _

_Kisses, Cami_


	4. Burying The Past, Embracing The Future

Chapter Four: Burying the past, embracing the future

"Hello, may I speak with Miss Thorne?" I'm confused with the call, and even more when the woman refers to me as a single person, "is Mrs. Mathis now" I answer softly, "Oh, I'm sorry Mrs. Mathis" "I don't mean to be rude but, why are you calling me?" this is scaring me, so I don't really care too much for my manners "right… my name is Miranda and I'm calling on behalf of Victoria Grayson" definitely wasn't expecting that "uh?" "She wants to see you".

I thank God Aiden isn't here, I rather do this alone and under my own terms. It's still unbelievable but there she is, waiting for me with that annoying smile that makes me want to hit her immediately, but sadly I can't. I'm surprised when the guard guides me into a private room, apparently being Victoria Grayson still has some benefits. "Hello Emily" my blood boils "Hello Victoria, enjoying your new lifestyle? I must say orange is definitely your color" the smile on my face, I'm sure she's about to go crazy. Her laughter reaches my ears, she's still playing her part "it's…different from what I'm used to" short answers, she just wants to make the game longer…I on the other hand "Ok, cut the crap Victoria, why am I here?" "Straight to the point, like always" I raise my eyebrows and look at my watch, she sighs "I read Mason's books" "so?" "Why did you leave a copy in the box?" I laugh, "Oh Victoria, that was so long ago…I wanted you to know what was next" "what? Weren't you satisfied with all you did to my family?" "I wanted _you_ to suffer, to pay for all the pain you caused, to David Clarke, to Amanda, to Jack, to Charlotte and even to Daniel; and you know what? I think a life sentence isn't enough because you're not even sorry!" I'm shaking with anger; finally all the things I wanted to say are coming out. "It's all Conrad fault, I have nothing to do with what happened to David" "Really Victoria? Not even in prison are you going to admit it? All the evidence is out there… at least Conrad had the decency to tell me he was sorry for everything that happened with David and Amanda, he apologized to Charlotte AND Jack… but most importantly, he apologized to me for what his son did" I touch my abdomen, if it wasn't for him… the Ice Queen looks away, "is that all?" she doesn't answer "we're finally happy and I sincerely hope you have a very long and miserable life" "you too Emily Thorne" "It's Mathis now" her mouth opens, "does he know you are unable to give him a proper family?" that hurts me more than I want to, but I don't let her know it…I won't give her the satisfaction "that's none of your business, goodbye Victoria and please, think of me when you're burning in hell" I don't give her a chance to answer and I leave the room as quickly as I can, there was nothing else to say. I feel a hundred pounds lighter; it's time to move on.

At home, Annie and Aiden are waiting for me "Hi, where were you?" he asks, "Downtown, I had a problem with one of my credit cards" I decide my final encounter with Victoria will stay secret, I won't ruin his day; he kisses me "did they fix it?" "yes, it was easier than I thought" I leave my things on the kitchen counter, "Aiden and I were thinking…" Annie begins "yes?" "Well, I'm past my due date so I could literally go into labor like right now and I want you to be with me during the whole thing so, can I stay with you? Only until Amelia comes" I am touched, "what does your mom think?" she shrugs "she actually agrees with me, says you guys deserve to be there too… when the time comes she'll meet me at the hospital" I smile, "then it's settled, we're happy to have you here" Aiden and I hug Annie, and peace returns to my mind. "We should invite the guys for dinner, I think Margaux could use your advice" Annie's eyes light up and Aiden can't refuse. I start calling all immediately.

We laugh watching Annie and Margaux trying to hug each other, "I give up" the later says defeated, she's eight and a half month and ready to be over with the experience. "Pregnancy is wonderful, but this is unbearable….I can't even look my own feet, I want it to be over right now" Annie complains, "I hear you girl, same here!" Margaux quickly agrees with her, I smile at them "It'll be worth it". Like always, we enjoy a nice dinner… it's the guys turn to wash the dishes, Nolan whines the whole night about it "Let's go, with 2 of them pregnant we will never win" Jack drags him to the kitchen but Annie stops them "Eh guys, no one is washing anything tonight…my water just broke" we are all too surprised to react, until Margaux complains "Ugh, this is so unfair!".

Before we notice, we're all in the hospital… and Annie doesn't let us leave her side, Aiden is the nervous one this time and I have to admit I am too but I decide to be the strong one, for Annie and Amelia. When the time comes, we hold one of her hands together while her mom holds the other "Annie I know you're tired but it's time to push ok?" Annie nods furiously "you can do it Annie, we're here for you" I give her strength. She screams and admire her even more, "your baby girl is almost here, one last push" even if it's not possible I feel in the same position she's right now, I'm about to become a mom, suddenly Amelia's cries fill the room and we're all crying too, Annie looks at me "Congratulations mommy" I kiss her forehead, "Daddy do you want to do the honors?" the doctor asks and Annie encourages Aiden, he cuts the umbilical cord smiling. Annie's mom kisses her forehead once again and leaves the room to give us some privacy, and I can't stop the tears "Emily, Aiden…come here" we sit beside her, "I just wanted to say that you'll always be in my heart, I'll never forget you guys and know Amelia is the luckiest baby in the world because she'll grow up by your side" "Don't say goodbye yet, you have to hold her first" I say and she shakes her head "you're her mom, you deserve that first moment with her" I carefully hug her, and Aiden gives her our present: a white gold necklace with a star, engraved with an 'A'. she smiles "It's beautiful" "you are already a star Annie, don't ever forget that" Aiden says and kisses her cheek, the nurse comes back with Amelia in her arms and Annie's mom is right behind her "this are the final papers… thank you for everything" we sign, and the nurse asks Annie if she wants to hold her for a while but she politely declines. We say our tearful goodbyes and wish her good luck before another nurse guides us into a private room "there you go" she gives me my daughter, "welcome home Amelia" Aiden says softly, already in love with her gray eyes.

As quietly as they can, Jack, Margaux, Nolan and Charlotte enter the room… "She's beautiful Ems" Nolan says first, "she has her mother's eyes" Charlotte says and I nod "yeah, they're beautiful" Jack and Margaux look at her, and from the look on their faces I believe they're picturing the birth of their own daughter. Jack kisses my head and shakes Aiden's hand, "congratulations guys, I'm so happy for you" he says sincerely, and Margaux smile "I wish I had my camera with me, you look perfect" Aiden and I smile, we do look perfect. Margaux tells Jack it's time to go, so Aiden and I decide to make our announcement before going home too… "Nolan, Charlotte we want you two to be Amelia's godparents" Charlotte hugs Aiden immediately and Nolan smiles at me "I would be honored" he says and Charlotte seems unable to talk but her tears of joy tell me she feels the same way. Margaux and Jack congratulate the brand new godparents and say their goodbyes promising they'll have lunch in our house during the week.

It feels like it's been days, but only hours after her birth I enjoy watching my daughter, my little Amelia, sleeping peacefully in my bed and I'm sure my heart is about to burst. Aiden kisses me deeply, "I love you Emily" "I love you too Aiden". A couple of days later I receive a new edition of Voulez, and it brings tears to my eyes… my family is on the front page '_Welcome to the family!'_ Apparently Margaux did have her picture of the perfect moment. I'll make sure Victoria and Daniel get a copy of the magazine, just to show them that after all, they only made me stronger.

**~A&E~**

_First I want to thank all of you who took the time to write a review, your kind words inspire me even more!. This chapter is a little shorter than the others because it has a lot of strong emotions, but I'm not over yet :) _

_I hope to have the next chapter up tomorrow night… _

_Kisses, Cami_


	5. Family Time

Chapter Five: Family time

Amelia's been home for a week now, and she has her daddy already wrapped around her little finger. It's amazing for me to watch Aiden with her, the way he carefully holds her and shows her how much he loves her fill my heart with joy. "Hi gorgeous" he kisses me softly, "Hi, how's she doing?" I ask even though I know the answer, "she's enjoying my pain- he smiles and changes his voice for Amelia- because I was just telling her she won't date until she's forty, you will always be daddy's little girl right?" I laugh, my poor baby, with such an overprotective father… and uncles around her I don't think she will date until at least college! "Don't be ridiculous Aiden, she's a week old" "Yeah, but look how beautiful she already is" I hug him "we still have time, now give her to me" he kisses my forehead.

"Ems" I can hear Aiden's voice, but it's nap time and I refuse to wake up. "Emily, sweetie wake up… Jack called" I immediately open my eyes, "Simone's coming?" He nods "Margaux's been having back pain the whole morning but she refused to go to the hospital, until her water broke an hour ago" I smile, Margaux is so stubborn. "I want to go the hospital, she was there for us" "I know, Pascal is on his way right now, he and Carl will take care of Amy" I don't want to leave her but at the same time I want to be there for my friend and I know she's safe with Pascal, "and what about him?" "He'll take both of them later to meet Simone". In 20 minutes, our doorbell rings, Pascal has a huge smile on his face and Carl doesn't stop talking about his little sister "Emy! Moon will be here soon!" he says excited, "Simone-I correct him sweetly- yes, she'll be here soon" Ever since Jack told him his little sister's name, we've been helping him with it but he decided it was easier to call her moon. I quickly explain where everything is to Pascal "I… thank you for doing this Pascal, we'll see you at the hospital" "Don't worry about it Emily, we'll be fine, just call me if anything happens" "Of course".

We leave our place in a hurry, and we're in the hospital as soon as we can but the press decided to delay us, "Mrs. Mathis? Is it true, is Miss LeMarchal here?" I roll my eyes but stay quiet, "Are you here to support your friends?" Aiden decides to answer, "Yes, we're here to support our friends but if you don't let us walk inside we will never be able to do so" "Mr. Mathis, what is she having? Is it just one baby?" I am so close to hit that damn reporter, but gladly Aiden drags me inside before I can do something. "Ugh, I hate the press" I complain and Aiden raises an eyebrow "she's the head of Voulez, what were you expecting?" "I don't know… guess I thought they would wait for her statement or something" yes, I was being naïve, I blame motherhood for it.

"Hi guys" Margaux says cheerfully "How come you're so happy?" Aiden asks curious, "Oh, apparently I'm one of those woman that takes as long as they need before anything happens and it seems like Simone doesn't want to come out yet so I'm still perfectly fine- she smiles- but daddy on the other hand…" she points at Jack, he's pacing back and forth, Aiden stands by his side trying to calm him down. "How's Amelia?" Margaux asks me, "She's great; I still can't believe she's here…" I say happily, and her smile gets even bigger "Dad was really excited to stay with her, he said something about the large amount of stories he has to pass to his grandchildren…" "And Carl is already in love with his 'moon', the first thing he told me today was Emy, moon will be here soon! It's so sweet" "well I still don't know how soon, but yes, finally!" we laugh, I take her hand and she gets serious "have you spoken with Annie?" I look down, "no, we sent her a picture of Amelia and some of the ones you took for the magazine and she hasn't replied yet… I don't think she will" She nods, "well I hope she gets to make her dreams true, maybe I can give her a hand or something".

Six hours go by before Simone Pascal decides it's time for her grand entrance, one by one we go inside the room to meet her, Nolan has Amelia on his arms and Pascal has Carl, Charlotte promised she would take as many pictures as she could. "She looks just like your mother" a tearful Pascal says to his daughter, "congratulations" he hugs Jack and kisses Margaux's head. "Mommy can I see her?" Margaux lets Carl sits beside her, and he carefully takes Simone's hand, he's amazed with this "Mommy! Look! Moon likes me" Charlotte and I have tears pooling in our eyes, "Baby of course she likes you! You're her big brother" Margaux explains Carl and his eyes light up, he looks at Jack and then he kisses Simone's head. "Emily, Aiden… come here please" Jack call us, I look at Aiden but he looks as curious as I am. "Aiden, I …I know we didn't have the best start but I trust you now and well we're family" Aiden is touched, he hugs Jack and says something to him but I can't hear it, now Jack turns to me "Ems, you're the best friend someone can asks for, you have been with me through hell and back" we don't need words, I understand "I'm losing my point here, anyway… we want you to be Simone's godparents". Later, Aiden and I lay together in bed, this time with our daughter between us "what's that smile for?" he caught me, "just thinking about us and our little princess" he runs his fingers through my hair, and I get a little bit closer to him "We're a family" I kiss him deeply, like I haven't in a few days "We were always one" He holds me tighter and I kiss Amelia's forehead. "I love you both so much".

Three weeks later, Charlotte, Amelia and I join Margaux for lunch in her place. Seeing her taking care of her children is amazing, she manages to pay attention to every single movement Carl makes and keeps an eye on Moon at the same time. "And to think I have my hands full with this little one" I say pointing Amelia, who's sleeping peacefully on her stroller, Margaux shrugs "the first couple of days were chaotic but, you get used to it" Charlotte smiles sadly, probably remembering her own pregnancy, I take her hand to tell her a silent 'someday' and when her eyes light up again I know she understood my message. "Mommy, look what Charlie give me" "Charlotte you have to stop spoiling my kids" Margaux says laughing while Carl shows her his new action figure, I raise my eyebrows "Batman? Seriously?" "Of course" Charlotte says serious, but then we all burst out laughing.

Later that day, Nolan decides to pay a visit to his niece "don't let mommy here tell you otherwise, I'll give you everything you want" he speaks with her and smiles when she responds with an 'oooh' sound, "See? She already loves me" he says proud. I shake my head "you won't turn her into a spoiled brat" "I never said that!" he quickly replies and adds "besides I'm pretty sure daddy has that base covered" "don't let him hear you say that" I say smirking.

I wake up to an empty bed, "Aiden?" I say whispering and I barely hear his answer "In here" he calls from Amy's room, "I couldn't sleep...can you believe it's been a moth?" he says sweetly and I can see a mixture of emotions in his eyes, "not really, she's getting so big… the other day she sort of had a conversation with Nolan" I say smiling, "care to explain?" he asks amused "Oh he did all the talking but every once in while she interrupted him with 'oohs' and 'ahhs' and you know him…" "Bet he was over the moon" He wraps his arms around me, we spend an hour like that, looking our little miracle. I lay down again thinking about my parents, did they ever feel like this? How would have him reacted to Victoria's pregnancy? But I quickly stop my train of thought, to think about all the what if's or would've been isn't worth it, life it's what it is… and looking at the bright side, yes Charlotte and I didn't grow up together and she doesn't know that we are related but she considers me her sister now and that's enough for me, I won't add more pain to her life.

It turns out to be a very busy month for me and the girls but we managed to prepare the girls christening in time, even though we opted for a simple ceremony (family only) it was impossible to keep the press away, but like on every big event in our crazy family, Voulez has all the privileges. Nolan and Charlotte stand side by side with not-so-little Amelia in her godmother's arms and I proudly hold Simone, Aiden keeps playing with her hands and she surprises all of us with a little laugh. "As Amelia's godmother I have to say that I'm so happy to see her grow and that I will fulfill my role and spoil her as much as I can, I love you baby girl" "and we love you Charlotte" Aiden tells her, now it's my turn "well, I believe Charlotte took the words out of my mouth, but I love Simone just like I love my daughter and I'll be by her side every day of her life, I love you Moon" Jack smiles, "what about me Emy?" Carl asks me and I melt "I love you too buddy" he looks satisfied with my answer. Aiden and Jack are in a corner, Jack seems nervous and it seems like Aiden is trying to encourage him… I'm not really sure but it must be good because his smile keeps getting bigger and bigger, "stop staring baby" he says in a very sexy voice later, "what are you two up to?" "You'll see" he winks at me…

"I need everyone's attention please" Jack yells, and we all look at him curious, "Margaux, come here" she comes closer and he takes her hand "I don't think I can properly express how I feel about you, I love you is not enough… Margaux LeMarchal, will you please make me even happier and marry me?" we're all in shock, Margaux seems unable to speak and after what I'm sure felt like hours for Jack she nods furiously "Yes! Yes! Of course I'll marry you" she jumps into his arms; we let them enjoy the moment for a while before getting closer and congratulate them, "About time!" I can hear Aiden, and I can't help but agree with him.

**~A&E~**

_Finally! I wasn't sure about it at first but it's like the story it's writing itself so… can't argue with it right? I don't have too many plans for this story, taking it one chapter at the time but I'll let you know when the end is near :) for now, enjoy the ride… _

_I'm not sure if I said something but I just love the dynamics between them, and I adore writing little Carl, I definitely want to write about him growing up and going all protective over his Moon_

_Again, thank you all for your kind words, they make me so happy! I'll update as soon as I can…_

_Kisses, Cami_


	6. Freedom

Chapter Six: Freedom

"Margaux, I love you more than life itself… you, Carl and Simone are everything to me, and I can't imagine my life without any of you. Thank you, for fixing me, for loving me… I'll do everything in my power to make you happy every single day of our lives" Jack finishes softly; I can't believe another year went by… Aiden takes my hand and I kiss him, our wedding day fresh in our minds, he kisses Amy's head and I hold Simone tighter "do you like mommy's dress?" I whisper in her little ear, she giggles and claps happily. "Jack… the first time I saw you I realized there was something special about you, even when you looked so broken I could see it, then I finally knew why and from that day I decided that my mission was and still is, to make you happy…I wanted to see you smile again- he does and she wipes another tear from her face- you, Carl and Simone are my life and I don't want to imagine my life without any of you, I love you" I'm pretty sure the whole church is crying by now, I see Charlotte smiling at Carl -who's sitting right by Pascal- she looks beautiful and as Margaux's maid of honor she made an amazing work. The church is crowded but as soon as the ceremony is over, we're heading to the Porter-LeMarchal house for a smaller reception, Amy grabs Aiden's tie and laughs loudly while playing with it, and gladly the ceremony is almost over so nobody noticed. I see Nolan taking Charlotte's hand and it's our time to get out, Simone giggles watching the rose petals flying outside and Amy keeps yelling "Dada, woses!" "Yes baby, that's right roses" With one year and 3 months, the girls surprise us every day with new words and games.

When we arrive, Nolan and Aiden immediately take the girls so Charlotte and I can take care of the last details before groom and bride get here. "Can you believe it's been a year?" Charlotte asks me while fixing the flowers "Not really…" I say deep in my thoughts. We finish right on time, "Emy, mommy is here" Carl runs to me, "I know, she looks beautiful doesn't she?" I ask him and he nods furiously, we laugh when he crashes with Margaux's legs, "I love you mommy". We smile, laugh, cheer, yell, cry, dance and sing the whole night, we enjoy as much as we can… Jack and Margaux are going to Europe for two weeks with the kids, and I think we're all too used to be always around, specially the kids, Amy and Simone are the best friends and Carl plays his role of older brother perfectly. Sooner than we want, it's time to go; we say our goodbyes "Good luck guys!" I yell and Aiden adds "don't do anything I wouldn't do" he winks and Jack laughs, "We'll see".

Charlotte and Nolan go to our place for a while, "She finally closed her eyes" I say tired, "she's just like you Ems, so damn stubborn" Nolan smiles and Aiden agrees "Hey" I scold them. Charlotte is awfully quiet tonight, and while Aiden and Nolan argue about the possibility of Amy being a genius I shake my head and drag her outside, "What's going on?" I ask her softly, she looks up "I…it's nothing Em, really" I look at her with my best mom-knows-best look and she smiles "My mom called" Oh, that explains a lot "what did she say?" I ask as calm as I can "nothing worth repeating, but she keep saying that I should keep my distance from all of you, that I would always be a Grayson and that Graysons don't have love or friends" By now, she's sobbing in my arms and my blood is boiling… she has no right to hurt her like this, and even though she'll never tell everything that bitch told her I can imagine them, I hold Charlotte tighter, I won't allow Victoria to destroy our family "Charlotte, look at me" I say quietly "you are a very important part of our family, your last name doesn't make a difference to me I have always loved you like a sister and that won't change because your mother says so" I comfort her as much as I can, "and as far as love is concerned, look at you, look at us…nobody thought we could be this happy, we're surrounded by love and someday you'll find a great guy, you're still young…just don't listen to that psycho anymore please?" She actually laughs, "Thank you Emily, I guess I wanted to believe she still had some hope… but I guess I'm just wasting my time" "Anytime, and you weren't wasting your time, you just wanted her to stop being so miserable" she smiles sadly, and then hugs me as tight as she can.

During the night I wake up and go to the nursery, "I will do everything in my power to keep you safe, I won't let anybody tell you you can't do something… I will be by your side every step of the way" I kiss my princess head, "I love you Amelia, so much". When I go back to my room, Aiden is wide awake "hey" he says softly "what are you thinking?" I lay down "just how lucky we are" he starts kissing my neck "I'm so glad I found my way back to you" I whisper in his ear, he looks up and then kisses me deeply "we belong together Emily, no matter how we would had found each other" "I know" I say serious "but I'm glad we did it when we did".

The weeks fly, and we're all at the airport waiting, "Moon!" Amy yells excited, her eyes light up seeing her friend and little Simone hurries her dad, when both girls are on the ground they hug like they haven't seen each other in years and we all smile "Amy, I buy you presents" Simone speaks fast and Amy hugs her again "I miss you" my heart melts and I'm sure Margaux feels the same. "Why don't we continue this in my place?" Nolan says and we leave as fast as we can, we're all eager to hear about their honeymoon. Carl talks non-stop about his ride on the London eye and how tall the Eiffel tower is and how his new French cousins played all kind of stuff with him… and we're all happy. The girls keep talking and hugging each other, "Simone insisted to buy one for Amy as well" Margaux says, "It's beautiful" Now both girls have the same charm bracelet, because well…that's what best friends do. The girls and I catch up quickly and we agreed to go back to our weekly lunch routine right away, "I missed you so much!" Margaux says and then adds "when we weren't busy of course" she winks and we laugh loudly. Before we go home, we have to ask if Moon can stay with us, because Amy won't go without her friend "Mommy I miss her lots and lots" I try to say no but Aiden can't resist our daughter's words and apparently neither does Jack… and Margaux never put a fight in the first place.

"Our baby is having a friend overnight for the first time" Aiden says and I start laughing "Aiden, Simone is family… besides I believe these two will always be together, I mean look at them" I point the two sleeping babies, "they're hugging each other" We both smile and I take a picture with my cell phone, and seconds after I sent it I receive Margaux, Jack, Nolan and Charlotte answers …. We're all hopelessly in love with them.

"I spoke with Charlotte yesterday… she told me about Victoria" Aiden says, we're having an early breakfast to enjoy the day with the girls, "I told her we will always love her" "yeah, she told me… I said almost the same and that if she ever need us, we'll be there for her" I wrap my arms around his body "you did good, she needs us more than ever" "I wonder why she's acting like this… why she wants to destroy her daughter?" "I don't know… maybe Victoria isn't trying to break her, maybe she wants her by her side, she's her daughter after all" I kiss his head, "We'll never find out, for now we should just protect her" "you're right, even if she's her mother, if she puts a finger on Charlotte she'll be gone for good, I'll personally make sure of it" "I won't let you go near Victoria, Emily" He turns around and looks at me, I can see nothing but love in his deep eyes "I love you" I kiss him senseless.

Aiden stays home with Amy while I walk around the beach, it's been three years since I decided to stop my endless revenge and I can't be happier about my decision, my father was right forgiveness did set me free, free to finally have my own family, to be just me. I feel a hand on my shoulders and my fight instincts kick in, "Ems what the hell?!" Nolan asks me from the ground, "Oh my god! I'm sorry" I say embarrassed while I give him a hand, he quickly fixes his clothes "I just wanted to say hi" "guess I was somewhere else" "Yeah, I noticed" we sit on the beach, "guess what?" he says excited, "what?" "I bought something for Amy" I raise my eyebrows, with Nolan you never know "again, what?" "This is a tablet; I designed it especially for her… with this she will be reading in a few months!" "Nolan…she's still learning how to talk" "it doesn't matter" I give up; you can't argue with him… it's like trying to argue with Amy.

"What's that?" Aiden asks curious, I sigh "it's from Nolan, he decided Amy needs to start practicing how to read" he takes it from me "amazing!" he runs to Amy's side and I laugh… but when I watch him patiently teaching our little girl how to use the program, and I hear her giggling, I really don't care about it anymore. "Emily, look!" Aiden yells, "we're raising a genius" he says pointing the screen and Amy claps happily, I see a picture of me holding Amy and she selected the word MOM to go with it, I smile proud of my baby girl even though I'm almost sure is just a coincidence but who cares, right? I take Amy in my arms "So, you're a genius after all?" "Mommy! I did it" She kisses me, and I love her even more.

**~A&E~**

_I'm so sorry for the delay with this chapter, but my week's been chaotic… since I'm in my second year of med school I had to help organize the party to welcome the new generation… thank god I only have to do it once, so much work and so little time!, anyway we had a great time yesterday and I'm back on vacations until march :) _

_I just finished this chapter and I didn't want to keep you waiting, I have no patience so I can understand, I hope you like it! Also, since the Porter-LeMarchal wedding finally happened I'll be jumping a few years into the future from now on… I don't feel like ending it just yet. _

_Kisses, Cami _


	7. The Hardest Part

Chapter Seven: The hardest part

"Are you sure about this?" I ask Charlotte one more time, "Yes Emily, I love him" I smile, "I hope Christian knows what a great woman he's taking away" I hug her. Amy, now 7 years old, hugs her Charlie too "I'm going to miss you so much Charlie!" she wipes another tear from her face "Hey, you won't get rid of me so easily…you will visit me every year right?" "Mom, we will go to Berlin to visit Charlie every year?" Amelia turns around to look at me with her eyes full of hope; I smile softly "of course Amelia, every single year". Charlotte met Christian during one of our family trips almost four years ago, I still remember the look on her face when she told me all about him, and now she's taking her with him to Berlin, he got an amazing job offer but he told us he couldn't go without her… and of course, we gave them our blessings. Aiden hugs Charlotte one last time and we watch her board her flight, Amy smiles sadly "I love you, Charlie".

"Mom?" Amelia asks, "yes sweetie?" "can we go to aunt Margaux's house?" Aiden looks at me, every time Amy is upset she runs to her best friend's house, he nods and she smiles "thank you daddy!" Aiden and I hold hands the entire way to our friends' place. "Hey, how was Charlotte?" Jack asks immediately after opening the door, we watch Amy ran past us to Simone's room, I smile sadly "she's excited, a little sad for leaving us, but we'll visit soon" we all sit on the couch; Margaux enters the room "Hi, I saw the girls upstairs, Amy seemed really upset" "yeah, we know, that's why we came straight from the airport" "poor thing, she and Charlotte are so close" I sigh, and Aiden puts his hand on my shoulder "we promised her we would go to Berlin every year but I don't want her sad the other eleven months of the year" "it's not just that" Aiden says and I try to shut him but he won't have any of it "Amy started to make questions about her biological mom, but every time we try to contact Annie… she hangs up" he finishes and Margaux and Jack don't know what to say, "I… I don't want to break my daughter's heart, we told her everything since she was old enough to understand hoping that someday Annie would see her and don't get me wrong I understand why she did what she did and I understand why she doesn't want to meet her being a rising actress you don't want that kind of attention but…" "how do you explain that to a seven year old?" Margaux finishes for me, "I think you just have to speak from the heart" she says, "when Carl started asking questions about Amanda I told him how I felt about it and then I answered everything he asked me, I think that helped him a lot" Jack adds quietly and I know they're right …

The ride back home is deadly silent, I'm so nervous for what I have to do but I know it's the best for my baby. Aiden calls her "Amy, can you sit with us for a sec?" she looks at us, curiosity making its way through her big gray eyes "sure, what's going on?" I take a deep breath and Aiden holds her hand "remember what you asked us the other day?" she frowns, "yeah, I want to meet my biological mother" "Amelia that's not going to be possible…" "how come?" I can hear the irritation in her voice and it breaks my heart "sweetie we…we did everything we could to talk with her, but…" I can't do it, I always promised to protect her and I can't break her heart "I don't think she wants to talk to us baby" Aiden hugs her but she fights and runs to her room. I can't hold the tears anymore.

I'm still in Aiden's arms, I don't know how long I've been crying, but he's asleep…I stand up carefully, this is a conversation I need to have alone with Amy. "Amelia, can I come in?" I say quietly, she doesn't say anything but her door opens, "do you remember when you were little and I explained to you that you are my daughter form the heart?" she nods and I can see the tears, "well, what I didn't told you then was that… I can't have children on my own, so your father and I met this beautiful young lady, her name is Annie" by now she's listening to every word "you see, she was a kid… she was 17 and well, she was pregnant but as much as she wanted to take care of her little girl, she realize she couldn't give her the kind of life she wanted her to have" "why? She asks almost whispering, "she was finishing high school, she wasn't prepared to be a mommy but she made one of the biggest decisions of her life and without realizing she did what every mommy does, she put her baby first… your father and I met Annie when she was five months pregnant with you" she sits closer to me and I wraps my arms around her "sometimes mommies have to make hard decisions, and for her this was so hard… so hard, that even though it's been seven years she's not ready to face it yet" "why not? I don't want to go with her I just want to meet her…" she says sadly and my heart breaks once again "I don't know baby, I think it's because maybe when she sees you for the first time, she will regret her decision and sad for what she did but you know what?" "what mommy?" "I will always thank her for it, because that's how I got you" she hugs me really tight and rub her back "I'm glad you found me mommy" "and I'm glad I found you baby… when your mother is ready to see you she will call, and I promise I won't stay in the way" "you'll always be my only mother" I smile, "I love you so much Amy" "I love you too mommy… can I go kiss daddy now?" "Of course". My heart is about to burst when I see her waking Aiden with a kiss, he hugs her tight and spins with her, "thank you for picking me daddy" she says cheerfully, Aiden kisses her forehead "thank you for picking us Amy".

A couple of days later our girl is back to her happy and bubbly self, and I let go of Annie… she'll call when she's ready, even if there's a side of me that's mad with her, the other side…the much bigger side understands her decision, If I were in her position seeing my baby all grown up would fill my heart with doubts and what if's… that's not a healthy way to live. "Hey Amy! Look who's online!" I hear Aiden yelling from the office, "CHARLIE!" I hear Amelia's excited voice. "Hi Charlotte, hi Christian" we all say "hi guys!" Charlotte answers happily and Christian smiles "how's Berlin?" Amelia takes charge of the conversation, "Oh Amy you will love it! It's beautiful…". We laugh hearing Charlotte trying to understand what Amy's saying "C'mon Charlotte, it's not that hard… I mean I'm a seven year old" "a seven year old with an IQ of 171, it's not fair" Aiden laughs "when did you learn german anyway?" Amy shrugs "when Charly told us she was moving with Christian, my tablet has an app…" "Amy that was like four months ago" Christian says surprised, "but I have to congratulate you; your german is flawless" Amy blushes, "danke Chris".

**~A&E~**

_Short chapter but I guess you understand why, very strong feelings going on here… and about Annie, she's still very young… I mean she would be only 24 years old, and I think she's just not ready to meet her yet… _

_Anyway, like always I hope you like it and I know Adoption is a very delicate subject so I would love to hear what you think :) _

_Kisses, Cami _


	8. The Hardest Part (II)

Chapter Eight: The hardest part-II

Night falls and Aiden and I put Amy to bed "night baby" he kisses her forehead "night daddy" I fix her hair one last time "sleep tight Amelia" "I love you mommy" I kiss her cheek and we go to our room. "I heard everything" "I know, why didn't you tell me sooner?" "you weren't ready to talk about it…" I sigh loudly, he knows me so well "can we get into bed first?" "of course". While I change I think about all the things I was nervous about, but my daughter surprised me again… she's so smart, she reminds me so much of Annie. Aiden sits on the bed and I go right into his arms, I lean on his body trying to get as comfortable as I can… "so, ready to talk about it?" I nod, "I was expecting something…totally different you know?" "I guess but why?" "I really don't know… I actually expected her to scream or something" "you're her mom Emily" He whispers in my ear, "maybe I'm waiting for that awful day when she finally decides I'm not good enough" I can feel the tears streaming down my face, I know that someday Amelia will want to get away from us… or at least that's what my mind screams at me every night, Aiden holds me tighter "you will always be her mommy, Emily… Always! You don't have to be waiting for something that won't happen" "how do you know that?" "because we are her family, and yes she obviously will have questions about her birth mother but that doesn't mean she's pulling away from us" I wrap my own arms around myself, "I don't want to lose her Aiden, I couldn't live without any of you" he kisses me "I couldn't live without any of you either" I kiss him now "Aiden.. I love you so much, thank you for being with me every step of the way" "I wouldn't be anywhere else my love…only with you" we kiss, slowly, deeply… it feels like magic. I love the way he makes me feel like the only one in the world, how we always seems to be inside our own bubble, how he just makes me feel.

"Mommy?" I hear the soft voice of my baby calling me "Amy, what happened baby?" she wipes her tears and runs to my arms "I had a nightmare" I rub circles on her back, "Shush baby, I got you ok?" "the monster took me away" she sobs and my heart breaks all over again "I got you Amy, I got you" I repeat softly "I don't want the monster to take away from you" A lone tear rolls down my face "no one will ever take you away from me, no one Amy" "Can I sleep with you and daddy?" she asks with her face hidden in my body "of course, come here" I hold her as tight as I can, and wait until her breathing calms down before closing my eyes.

I wake up to the most beautiful sight, my husband and my daughter looking at me, happiness radiating from their pores, with a tray full of delicious things to enjoy a nice family breakfast. "good morning beautiful" Aiden says while I sit on the bed "morning mom!" Amy says excited, I kiss her cheek "good morning my loves" Aiden sits beside me and kisses me, I smile into the kiss when I hear Amy giggling, Aiden smiles too "what's so funny young girl?" she laughs now, "nothing" Aiden raises an eyebrow "nothing huh?" "I like when you show mom you love her" I smile too, "guess what? I love it too" I take a small sip of my coffee and Aiden pulls me near him "we have an idea" I look at them "let's have a picnic today!" "let's do it!"

The beach is quiet and the day is perfect for our family picnic "there!" Amelia says and runs to the place, I try to stop her but Aiden grabs my arm here "let her, we can still watch her" I have to work on that, I want her to be an independent woman but it's still hard to let her go… I know understand what my dad really meant when he told me _you will always be my baby girl_. I'm beside her in no time "perfect". "Amy do you want to do the honors?" every time we do something special together, one of us speaks about all the things that we're grateful about, Amy nods "dear God, I know you don't hear a lot from us but I just wanted to say thank you for everything that surrounds me, but most importantly thank you for my mommy and daddy" "amen" Aiden and I smile, our girl is growing up so fast.

We watch Amelia playing with the waves; Aiden has his arms around me and I can't feel better "look at our girl" he says, and I nod "soon she'll be a teenager" and now I can see where the conversation is headed "Aiden we're still a couple of years away from dating" he looks at me "she's going to drive me crazy" I just laugh, "my poor husband, you still won't have to worry about boys chasing Amy" He huffs "again, look at her she's drop dead gorgeous… I'm gonna have to buy another gun" I push him and laugh harder "you're right, she's gorgeous" he kisses me, "just like her mother". We spend another couple of hours at the beach; it's been a while since we had a family day… just the three of us.

"I was thinking…" Aiden says later in the night "yeah? You seem to be doing a lot of that today" I say bringing two glasses of red wine, he smiles softly at me "we should go away for a couple of days" "all of us?" "no Ems, just the two of us" I kiss him "I love that idea" he stands up and goes to our room "Aiden where are you going?" "close your eyes" he whispers in my ear, and before I do I can see he's hiding something, I can hear papers "now open them" he says softly and when I do he hands me two tickets "Italy?" I say surprised "don't you think it's time we start enjoying our villa?" I kiss him senseless "what did I do to deserve you?" I ask him, my voice barely above a whisper, he looks at me "I ask myself that every day" we kiss again "I love you so much" "I love you too Emily Mathis".

**~A&E~**

_Short chapter again, but I needed some Aimily fluff since from now on will be almost all about family dealing with Carl and the girls growing up, I think I have two or three left but you never know what could happen tomorrow so… hope you enjoy it! _

_Kisses, Cami_


	9. Growing Up

Chapter Nine: Growing up

Amelia looks at me smiling, "Mom?" I know that voice so well "yes Amy?" I can feel her thinking, "can I go to the beach with Simone today?" "of course you can but only if Carl is there too" she pouts "but moooom! He's too old to hang out with us" I raise my eyebrows, "sweetie, you're twelve…he's fifteen, he's not too old" I say trying hard not to laugh, she crosses her arms and sighs loudly "fine, I'll call Moon to let her know" after I hear her closing her door I start laughing, those two are full of surprises. "Hi Emily" Margauxs cheerful voice answers "hi Margaux, did Simone ask you too?" I can hear her smiling on the phone "you bet! I drew the line immediately" "only if Carl's going too" "exactly, Simone wasn't happy about it but if I don't put limits now…" "I know" "at least Amelia is quiet" "sometimes too much, that brain of hers never stops" Margaux laugh "well, she's a genius after all… don't worry, just let her be" I smile "what else can I do?" "exactly, I'll be sending Carl with Moon in about 30 minutes ok?" "ok, bye!". I watch my daughter going out with her friends, the ones that's been with her during her whole life, and shake my head… she's just going out there's no reason to get all emotional about it.

A few hours later I hear Aiden entering the house "I'm home!" I leave my book on the couch "Hi handsome" I hug him from behind, he turns around and picks me up before kissing me, I smile into our kiss "I missed you" "I missed you too" he holds me tight, "where's Amelia?" "she went out with Carl and Simone" "good, she needs to get out more often" I nod, she needs to have fun; "Her IQ test results came in the mail today, I didn't want to open them alone" I say, his eyes widen "we have to see them!" I take the envelope from his hands "we should wait for her" he sighs, "but what if she's not… what if it's not what she expects? We should be prepared" I give up, I can see he's nervous, we have always known she's smart but it's different to confirm your child is a genius… he opens the letter, I can see tears pooling in his eyes and I quickly take the letter "167? Aiden that means…" "our baby is a genius" we hug, we are both scared by this result… how will she react to it? "so, what do we do now?" Aiden asks me, I know he's worried these results will change something "What do you mean? I… this doesn't change anything, we let her decide that" he nods and I hug him, "we just have to make sure she has everything she needs to keep learning, give her the proper tools nothing else, she will decide what she will do with them".

Amelia comes home a couple of hours later; from the look on her face I know she had a great time with Carl and Simone, "Mom, Moon is staying for dinner!" Like I wasn't expecting that "what about Carl?" "he said he had some homework, and before you say anything mine is already done" she says giving me a kiss "Moon is downstairs with dad, he said you wanted to show me something" I give her the envelope "your test results" she carefully opens it, and takes her time reading the letter "what do you think?" I ask her, she shrugs "it's just a number mom" "I know, it's still high…" "I have always known I was kind of different, now I have a paper to prove it but like I said, it's just a number" I hug her and kiss her forehead "being different is not a bad thing sweetie, never forget that" she nods "can I keep the letter?" "of course Amy, it's yours" she kisses my cheek again "I'm hungry" "yeah, let's go downstairs I'm sure your dad and Moon can help us make dinner faster".

The next morning, I get a call from Charlotte "Hello Ems!" she says happily "Hi Charlotte, how's Christian?" "good, we are really good. Amelia texted me her results…" "oh yes, we receive them yesterday, 167" "I always knew she was a genius" I laugh "I kinda figured that when she was three and started reading _little red riding _hood by herself" I hear Charlotte's laughing "how's the little guy?" "he behaves, I can't believe it's been six months" "remember Margaux? At that time into the pregnancy she already wanted to be over with it" we both laugh and I can't wait to meet my nephew "I love it! Christian is so wonderful with me" "good, otherwise he will have to deal with all of us" "nothing good will come out of that…thank god I'm already married" "did you finally choose a name?" She squeals "yees! That's why I'm calling…" "tell me!" "Josh David Weiss" I can feel the tears pooling in my eyes, I'm sure my father has a smile on his face "it's beautiful Charlotte" we stay silent for a while before I talk again "we're flying for the holidays" "really? But I'll probably be in the hospital by then" "you think I would miss my nephew's birth?" "I'll love to have you here" "Amy's so excited, in fact it was her idea to stay until February" "what did the school say?" "nothing, Amy promised them she would give any exam before leaving so…" "Oh, that sounds like our girl". I hang up a while later "Amy, Charlie says hi" "Charlie called?" she asks "yeah, while you were sleeping" she shrugs "baby boy has a name?" I nod and her eyes light up "Josh David Weiss" she smiles "I looove it!" I laugh, I knew she would love it too.

Sunday comes too quickly; we're having lunch with the Porters, "Simone Pascal Porter-LeMarchal give me that right now!" "forget about it! Amelia Mathis" I hear our daughters yelling at each other, I look at them curious but Amy keeps chasing Moon. "Simone, enough! Give her the tablet back" Margaux scolds Simone "but mooom I want to play with her but she wants to keep reading" Simone huffs and I try to hide my smile, suddenly Amy stands up "I finished, I told you I only needed an hour" she smiles at her best friend and she drags her back to her room. Jack and Aiden are laughing "so different, and they're still best friends" "yeah, it's good for Amy though… sometimes she spends too much time in her own world" Aiden talks with Jack but Margaux interrupts them "Oh don't worry about it, as long as she's happy everything is fine" I nod, "I know, but sometimes I would like to see her acting more according her age you know?" he says and I add "we got a call from Yale" Margaux and Jack have their eyes wide open "you're kidding…right?" "No, apparently her IQ already appears on her school records and Yale wants to offer pretty much everything she wants" Aiden smiles "they want her in their medical program" "Aiden are you serious?" Jack asks "Amy said no, at least she doesn't want to finish high school just yet but she will start some courses next year" I say and Margaux nods "good, it was bad enough that they forced her to jump from 6 grade to 9 grade, she has to live her childhood" "well the school didn't force her, she wanted to do it" "yeah Carl was pretty shocked when he realized Amy would be his classmate" Jack says laughing, and Aiden sits beside me "I bet he was, but I'm glad she's with him" "and how did she react to the Yale thing? I mean she will be surrounded by college students!" I laugh and take Aiden's hand "Oh Margaux you know her, she's over the moon… being a doctor is the only thing she talks about" Jack hugs Margaux "Amy will be just fine, she can do it". I help Margaux with the dishes when our kids come running into the kitchen "Mom… can you please tell Simone to let Amy and I do our homework? I can't understand it and her voice only makes it worse" Simone rolls her eyes while Amy tries to hide her smile "stop complaining, it's not my fault you're so slow" Margaux and I sigh, and Amy tries to calm her friend "why don't you let me finish our chemistry report? And then I'm all yours moon" Simone smiles sadly "fine, I hate that you're in high school now" "I know, but you will always be my best friend" they share a tight hug and Margaux and I look at them smiling.

I watch Amy on the beach with Carl, she's teaching him biology, I love that they help each other every time they can. Aiden hugs me "who would have thought we would be raising a genius?" I kiss him "I wish Annie would see her, she would be so proud" "it's her decision, we must respect that" I sigh "I know, maybe someday we could take Amy to watch one of her plays in Broadway" "that will be up to her". Carl kisses Amy's cheek and goes, even though I wanted him to stay for dinner, "So, how was the class?" I ask and Amy and she sighs "looooong, sometimes I think Carl it's just doing it to piss me off" I frown "what did you just said?" "Nothing mommy" she answers sweetly and kisses me, I smile "good, why don't you ask your father to set the table?" "Ok" she runs to the living room and I can hear Aiden whining, she comes back giggling "Nice job".

I watch Amelia fixing her hair with Simone, she learned how to make the perfect French braid and of course, she had to show it to her sister. "and now you take the final string and it's done" I cough, "Hi aunt Emmy" "Hi Moon, are your parents coming for lunch?" "sure, they should be here in an hour or so" "good". I go back down, and I see Nolan's smiling face in my living room "hey" I hug him, "how are you guys doing?" "oh you know us, Amy's always keeping us busy" He huffs "please, she's so well behaved" "I know, that worries me sometimes" "you worry too much, she's a great girl" "yeah, she is". Margaux and Jack arrive an hour later and Simone is waiting by the door "Mom look at my hair!" she says excited and Jack picks her up "you look amazing sweetie, who did that? Aunt Emmy?" Margaux asks her and I shake my head "I had nothing to do with that" "it was Amy, she learnt on the internet" We all smile; "hurry up people or I'm going to eat everything" Aiden yells from the kitchen, "we're going!".

Later that night Nolan, Amy, Aiden and I share a cup of tea. "Ems told me Yale called you" Amy blushes "yeah, they wanted me to finish high school and start med school with them" Nolan smiles and hugs her "that's awesome Amy, what did you decide?" she clears her throat "I already jumped from 6 grade to 9 grade, I don't want to jump into college just yet" "that's a wise decision young lady" "but I'm starting a few courses next year" "medicine is a very long road, so it's ok if you start a little earlier" we laugh, "thanks Nolan… I'm so happy!" "and I'm happy to hear that, tell me how's 9 grade treating you?" she laughs "it's so easy, I don't understand why Carl is having so much trouble…" "sweetie I was talking about your classmates" "Oh, yeah they're good… they say I'm the baby so they have to protect me" she smiles and a part of me calms down "perfect then, you'll have a lot of fun in high school" Aiden's head is about to blow and Nolan laughs harder "ok, not TOO much fun".

I kiss Amelia's forehead, "who would have thought?" I play with her hair while she sleeps peacefully "my little girl, already a freshman in high school and college… you're going to be a great doctor baby, I'm going to help you as much as I can".

**~A&E~**

_Annnnnnd another one is over, I think two more chapters and this story will be complete, before writer's block hit me and I can't finish it. Hope you liked it !_

_Kisses, Cami_


	10. What?

Chapter Ten: What?

I know what the paper in my hand says but it's been 15 years since I thought everything was over and now he's free again! And for good behavior… I'm so mad but I don't want to scare Amy so I just show Aiden the paper and he nods, "we'll talk about it later baby" "sure" Our now 13 year old look at us frowning, "I would ask but I have a very long and important biology paper waiting for me" she drinks the last of her coffee "school? med school?" Aiden asks and she laughs "please dad, med school of course… I'm like a month ahead on my school work" I take Aiden's hand "go baby, college professors don't like to wait" she leaves the table in a hurry, something that doesn't surprise me anymore. "Now that she's gone… did you read?" he nods "Daniel is out" "I'm scared Aiden…" he hugs me "don't worry Emily, I'll protect you and our baby". Nolan knocks on our door a couple of minutes later, "I just read it, how did this happen?" he passes his fingers through his hair, "good behavior" I say angry "we won't let him get near you or Amy" I hug my friend "thank god Charlotte's in Berlin".

A couple of weeks later I forgot about the whole 'Daniel issue', that until I ran into him at the grocery store "Oh I'm so sor…Daniel?" I feel all the air leaving my body "Emily" he says "how are you?" I feel like slapping myself, I have to get out of here "Mom, I found the gloves but they don't have my size so I bought 2 pairs… who are you?" Amelia gets near me "No one baby, why don't you go with your dad? I'll be with you in a moment" "are you sure?" she whispers "of course, go" she leaves, hesitant but I need to do this alone; "I thought you couldn't have children…" my blood boils but I try to stay as calm as possible "thanks to you… no, I can't, Amy's adopted" he looks down, "Emily…I'm so sorry, I… you were right things would have been so much easier if…" I shake my head "don't…it's been 15 years, I don't need to open old wounds" he sighs, "you're right.." "Emily, are you ok?" Aiden asks concerned "where's Amelia?" I ask immediately "she's looking for some supplies for the first aid kit" I smile, my little doctor already worried about our health "Aiden… hi" Daniel says surprised while Aiden puts his hand on my waist "hello Daniel" I can feel the tension in the air and I just want to go "Danny I found th… oh" just when I thought things couldn't get more awkward Sara had to come looking for him, "Mom, Charlie called…she's going to be online in like half an hour, I want to see Josh" I close my eyes, my mind is screaming at me right now "Charlie?" "Charlotte" Aiden answers him and then looks at me "I'll be waiting in the car with Amelia" He kisses me and I smile "good, tell her we will answer everything later" I wait until they leave, "why would she call you on skype?" "she's living in Berlin, with her husband and her little boy, Josh" He looks surprised "Danny I'll go…bye Emily" I silently say goodbye, "wow, it's definitely been a long time away" I sigh "Daniel, like I said what's in the past it's the past but I don't think it will be good if we see each other again" he looks away "you're right…don't worry I think there's nothing else in the Hamptons for me, say hello to Charlotte… please". When I reach the car, I see Aiden waiting for me standing outside; he wraps his arms around me and everything is right again.

"Mom…who was that?" I always thought I could protect her from the mess my life once was; "Amy…remember when I told you I can't have kids?" she nods, "he's Daniel, Charlotte's brother and…my ex husband" she looks shocked and I take her hand "he's the one who attacked you?" I feel a lonely tear falling, "yes sweetie" she hugs me as tight as she can "why is he out of jail?" "he had good behavior… but don't worry baby, we will never see him again ok? Never" she sobs "it's ok, I'm ok…" I rub circles on her back, she may be a high school/med student but she's still 13, and she's still my sensitive little girl. Aiden comes into Amy's room a while later "she was trying to protect you" "what do you mean?" "Charlotte never called, she just wanted to get you out of there" my heart breaks, so little and already thinking about the safety of the ones she loves, Aiden puts his arms around us "I got you now".

"He what?" Margaux says irritated "he asked about Amy…then he said he was sorry and…" "what did you tell him?" "that I don't want to see him again…he said he was here expecting to see Charlotte but when I told him she was in Berlin…" She takes my hand "Oh Emily, we will make sure of it ok?" I nod and give her a little smile; "Carl was so worried" "why?" I ask her concerned "Amy texted him last night, she was worried about you" I sigh "I know, when I told her who he was she immediately connected the dots…" "that girl is too smart sometimes" I know realize something "wait, you told me she texted Carl?" Margaux nods, "Not Simone, Carl…" "yeah, she texted….oh, that's weird" "yes…kind of".

I watch my daughter talking with Simone, and suddenly she blushes… I rub my eyes, Amelia doesn't blush…right? I smile, my baby girl finally acting like a normal 13 year old…I'm not sure what Aiden is going to think about it though, but who says he's going to find out. "Mom, can moon stay tonight?" Amy asks sweetly "of course Amy, I'll go call Jack to let him know" She smiles "Moon! You're staying tonight" I laugh, and dial Jack's number "hello?" "hi Emily, are you dropping off Simone tonight or tomorrow?" he laughs "you know them well enough to know it's tomorrow" "that's ok, Carl is out with his friends too so Margaux and I can have the house for ourselves" he laughs "too much info Jack, good night" "night, Emily".

"Pancakes and orange juice?" I smile watching Aiden in the kitchen "yeah, you know I can't say no to the girls" I shake my head and wraps my arms around him "believe me, I know" "let me take this upstairs and then we can have breakfast" I kiss him, "sure, go ahead". He comes back five minutes later, "can you believe Amy's showing Simone how to do a suture?" I raise my eyebrows "sutures?" he laughs "well, she's not using actual sutures… but Simone brought her a needle and apparently youtube has everything" "Our baby, she can't wait to be an actual doctor…" Aiden hugs me and kisses me, "have I told you how much I love you today?" I blush "no, I don't think so" he puts his hands on my face "well Emily Mathis, I" he kisses my forehead "love" now my nose "you" and finally my mouth, I smile into the kiss "I'm so lucky".

Jogging along the beach I find the peace I was looking for since I saw Daniel at the grocery store, I can finally gift him my forgiveness… I thought everything was over 15 years ago, but the truth is I needed this closure with him; a part of me tried to save him of the Grayson's inevitable fall but he chose to join them… don't get me wrong, I admit my part in it...but I don't regret it… there's only one thing I regret, lying to him about the baby. I sit on the sand, enjoying the wind on my face and decide I won't think in all the what if's that haunt me, I have a beautiful family with me and the mess I created a lifetime ago is finally behind me. I slowly return to my house and watch Aiden playing with Amelia by the pool, and a smile instantly appears on my face. "Where were you all morning?" Aiden asks me, "I was jogging…I needed to clear my head" he kisses me "I get it, I need that sometimes too" I lean on him, "I guess we will never be safe from the ghosts of our past" he runs his fingers through my hair "but we can always focus on the future" I nod, "I agree".

I give each of the guys a glass of wine, while Margaux and I enjoy some champagne; Nolan looks at our children and smiles "they're so big!" Jack laughs "you're so old!" we all laugh watching Nolan's face, I watch outside… Simone's painting and Carl has his arm around Amy, he has always been the protector of the girls especially now that Amy is in his class. "What do you think Emily?" I shake my head "sorry, what?" Margaux smiles "see I told you she wasn't paying attention… we were thinking about giving the kids a special gift" I raise my eyebrows "what?" "A trip to France, one of cousins just moved to Paris and she's dying to meet all of them…and Pascal will be there too" I look at Aiden and he nods "Pascal will be there?" Jack nods and Margaux rolls her eyes "of course, otherwise I wouldn't allow it" I nod and she smiles "then it's settled, I'll call Pascal tomorrow" "and I'll buy the plane tickets" Aiden and Jack immediately start arguing with Nolan "we can't let you do that" they say and Nolan snorts "they're going to Paris, I'll buy the tickets and you two give the kids a lot of money to spend there ok?" Jack sighs defeated "If my moon is anything like her mother…" "hey!" Margaux pushes him and we all laugh, Aiden raises his hands "fine, I'll let him buy the tickets" I kiss his cheek.

We prepare everything before letting them know, so a few days later we all meet in our house again, Simone runs inside while Carl follows her laughing "Hi Emmy" he says kissing my cheek "hi Carl" "where's Amy?" he asks "upstairs, we'll call you when dinner is ready" he nods and goes upstairs, I'm sure Simone's already there. Margaux hugs me "sorry, my daughter believes she lives here too" I shrug "don't worry she says hello everyday". We wait for Nolan before telling them anything "why are we all here again?" Simone asks and Amy looks at her "we're waiting for Nolan" she huffs and crosses her arms "we're going to be waiting forever then" Carl laughs "don't be a drama queen" suddenly the door opens "yeah don't be a drama queen please…better late than never right?" we all laugh "you're right… guys we have a gift for you" I say standing up, I watch them…their eyes shining with expectation, I go get the kids passports while Nolan takes the plane tickets, Jack explains "since you have all been very responsible with school-he looks at Amy- and college…" Carl chuckles and Amy pushes him, Margaux rolls her eyes and continues "like Jack was saying, we decided you deserved a very nice gift" Nolan can't keep the secret anymore "you're taking too long, you're all going to Paris for 2 whole weeks!" The kids seem to be processing the information and like always Amy's faster "WHAT?" I chuckle, I was expecting something more elaborated "he's right, you're leaving next week" Aiden gives her a ticket and her passport "and you're flying first class" the three of them stand up and take turns hugging all of us, "I have one more surprise for you" Nolan says and now we all are looking at him "since I know how much you all miss Charlie, I added one more week in Berlin" Amelia, Simone and Carl jump to hug Nolan again and when they fall we all laugh.

"Amelia, take care ok?" she rolls her eyes and Aiden hugs her once again "Dad, I already told you I will…don't worry Pascal will be waiting for us at the airport" I hug her now "he's just worried sweetie, we know you'll be careful" "of course mom, I'll call you when we land" "good, say hello to Charlotte and the boys for us" "I will, goodbye mom" she kisses each one of us goodbyes and goes; we watch Margaux and Jack say goodbye to their kids and then the four of us leave together, our babies are growing too fast.

**~A&E~**

_Ten ! so, two more and it's over … I had the feeling things with Daniel weren't over yet and I ended up with this. Like always I hope you like it! Let me know what you think… _

_Kisses, Cami _


	11. Senior Year

Chapter Eleven: Senior Year

"Ok Amelia, now you can open your eyes" Aiden says and I hand her the keys "Are you kidding me? THANK YOU!" she yells excited and I can't be happier for her, after a lot of thought we decided to get her a car…it's not like she doesn't deserve it. "since your 16 birthday is only a few weeks away…" "Mom! Dad! I looove you, thank you so much" Aiden hugs her "you just have to promise you'll be careful" she nods eagerly and I sit on the passenger seat "why don't you take me to the bakery? I need to pick the cupcakes for your party" her eyes light up "yes, of course!".

I watch Amelia showing her car to Simone and Carl, he already has one but Simone doesn't know she'll get hers for her birthday "Amy, this is so cool!" "I know Moon, I still can't believe it" my daughter says, I smile…she deserves it, she's not only finishing high school this year, she's also getting her first white coat…she finished all the basic science's courses and it's officially a third year medical student; I'm a very, very proud mom. Jack sits beside me "did you know Carl wants Amy to be his date for the prom?" my eyes widen, prom is still a couple of months away "wh…what?" being realistic, it shouldn't surprise me…and probably this doesn't exactly mean what I'm thinking… "don't worry, he told me he wants to take her because that way she won't have any excuse to miss it" "Oh right, you know Amy isn't that much into partying and stuff like that" "I know, that's why I think it's a great idea". We keep listening to our children conversation, "Damn, how am I going to survive high school without you?" Simone says to Amelia, she smiles softly at her bestie "Moon you'll be fine, I survive it in one piece and I'm a total nerd remember?" Simone chuckles and Carl looks at Amy "Amy you're not a nerd" Amy rolls her eyes "I'm finishing high school with 16 years, what does that tell you?" they all laugh and I look at Jack "I'm so glad they'll always be there for each other" "yeah, me too".

3 weeks later we're all celebrating Amy's birthday, and that Carl is officially a Yale student too, "Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear Amy! Happy birthday to you!" Amy's smile gets bigger and bigger, Aiden and I hug her as tight as we can, and we let the others do the same "congratulations Amy" Carl kisses her cheek "Amyyy ! I love you sister" "I love you too Moon" Simone squeals and hugs her for a very long time until Nolan claims it's his turn "my beautiful goddaughter! Happy birthday sweetie" "thank you Nolan" she kisses his cheek and he smiles "you'll be a hell of a doctor sweetheart" Jack clears his throat behind them and I laugh loudly, "I can't believe you're 16 already! Congrats Amelia" he hugs her and Margaux smiles "don't listen this old man, you are gorgeous sweetie, happy birthday" "thanks Margaux" Amy says chuckling. "Now Carl, how does it feel to be a Yale student?" he blushes, "Oh it will be awesome Carl!, you'll love it" Amy says excited "you think so?" he asks a little bit shy and my daughter nods quickly, "well I guess we just have to wait and see right?" "Totally right Emmy" "and don't worry if you get lost I'm sure Amy can show you the right way" Simone jokes and he pushes her "don't be silly moon, I won't get lost" he says proud to his sister and Jack laughs, "moon it will be your turn too in a couple of years" she raises and eyebrow and huffs "I don't like to wait".

I thank god we're still a couple of months away from the end of the school year, I'm not sure I'm going to be able to watch Amelia graduating high school and then getting her first white coat, I'm a sensitive mom for god's sake! And even if Aiden loves to deny it, I know he is a very, very sensitive daddy. I laugh with my own thoughts, it's way too early to be awake but I don't mind… all those years waking up at 4 AM, training… it's hard to break the habits. I run my fingers through my husband's hair; we were so young back then, so lost, so naïve but so determined at the same time. Aiden stirs "what time is it?" I smile "4:30…go back to sleep" he sighs "not without you, come here" he pulls me closer and I can hear his heart beating, I kiss his chest "I love you" "me too Emily" smiling, I close my eyes.

We return home from Simone's birthday celebration, "good night Amelia" I kiss her cheek and she looks down "actually mom…can we speak?" I frown "sure, are you ok?" she nods and takes my hand, Aiden looks curious but he goes to our room. "Amy, you're worrying me…what's going on?" she sighs loudly "I'm so stupid mom" "sweetie you're anything but stupid" I take her hand, "no, I really am stupid… I don't know what to do" she puts her free hand on her face; I pull her closer to me "Amy…" "How did you know…how did you realize you loved dad?" realization hits me, I clear my throat and take both of her hands "I…it was so long ago, and believe me it was not love at first sight" she giggles "really?" I nod "really, I hated him at first with his sexy accent and his beautiful eyes… ok maybe I didn't hate him that much, but still…then we started talking and I realized how smart he was, how broken he was and I wanted to help him…" Amy smiles sweetly "oh, and then what happened?" "what do you think? We got closer and closer every day, he used to pull me into his arms every chance he had and I didn't complain" I notice she's blushing but I decide to continue "until one day he promised he would always be by my side, protecting me…and that's when I realize we were both head over heels already" "what did you do then?" I smile "I kissed him…I was so scared I was wrong, but I did and we've been in love since then… even when we weren't together, I have always loved him" she sighs again, "Mom…I think I'm falling for my best friend" I hide my smile, she doesn't need to know I already figured that out "Oh Amy, it happens to the best of us" Amy looks horrified at me "ugh mom, Nolan is your best friend!" I laugh "he's my second best friend, don't look at me like that…your dad will always be my best friend" we stay silent for a while, I can hear her thinking "what am I supposed to do?" she finally says, I hug her "you must be brave sweetie".

A whole month goes by after that night, and I thought Amelia wouldn't do anything about her feelings… until this afternoon, Amy had to finish a report a Carl needed help with a physics problem. They love to work outside…which gives me the best view. I watch them for a whole hour, smiling every time Carl looks at Amy… suddenly I watch my daughter sigh, she puts the pen down and I believe she calls her friend, he instantly looks at her… Amy doesn't say anything else and Carl looks worried, he puts his hand on her face and I can see Amy's lips moving; I text Margaux _'she told him first!' _and when I look up I see my baby crying and when she's about to go he grabs her arm and…kisses her!. I leave the kitchen quickly, I saw enough. I'm in my room when my phone rings "whaaaat happened?!" a very excited Margaux asks "she told him!" I say happily, all of us were waiting for this moment "oh my god…and now what?" "well, I left them alone, but …he kissed her" I can hear Margaux squealing "yes, I knew it! That's my son!" she says proud and I giggle, "now we have to wait until they're ready to tell us remember… so not a word to the guys or Charlotte, we know she couldn't keep this a secret".

The next morning, I wake up later than usual and I can hear my daughter in the kitchen, she's singing and dancing while waiting for the coffee machine and I think I can't be happier for her. "good morning mom!" she says way too excited "good morning sweetie" I kiss her cheek "did you finished your report?" she shakes her head "no, I only wrote half of it but I plan to finish it today" I raise my eyebrows "you never leave anything half way" she chokes with her orange juice and I smile "I got too distracted" "I see…" we stay in silence for a while, I watch Amy finishing her coffee "Mom I gotta go… love you!" she leaves in a hurry and then I watched her come back "thank you for the advice mommy" she hugs me and then goes to her room… I smile, "Amy…you forgot your coffee honey!" I call her and she returns blushing "right, thanks again mom" I grab her arm "something wrong?" she smiles and shrugs "not really, I just woke up in the wrong side of the bed I guess" I raise an eyebrow "sure…".

Every day after that morning I have to hide my smile when Carl comes to the house, with Simone by his side, trying to cover the real reason he's here "Mom asked me to bring her…again" he says rolling his eyes and I laugh "don't worry Carl you know our house is yours" he smiles and kisses my cheek "thanks Emmy…where's Amy?" "Outside, finishing some stuff for the hospital I think" Simone runs outside and Carl follows his sister, "Carl made me walk!" I hear Moon complaining "tell him something…I mean now that you two are dat…" I laugh quietly watching Amy covering her friend's mouth…I start 'reading' and I can feel Amy's eyes on me but apparently she doesn't find anything suspicious. Hours later I go outside "Moon, Carl do you want me and Aiden to take you home? Or should I invite Jack and Margaux?" Simone's eyes light up "call my parents pleeeease Emmy!" I look at my daughter and she just shrugs, Carl looks nervous, "what do you say Carl?" I ask him sweetly, he looks at Amy and finally sighs "sure, call them Emmy" Simone hugs him and I raise my eyebrows, Moon blushes "what was that about?" I ask her "nothing Emmy…I just didn't want to walk" I let her mistake slip "right, I'll make dinner for 7 then".

Margaux and I smile secretly at each other the whole night, our husbands on the other hands seem clueless to what's right in front of them. When we're all in the living room, Carl and Amy sit next to each other and Simone looks at them smiling, she whispers something in Amy's ear that makes her blush and Moon starts pushing her, "fine! But stop that please Moon, is annoying" Simone giggles "I'll tell them if you don't…you said you'll do it today" Amy pushes her friend "I know, but can you go to my room or something while we do it?" "but I… ugh fine, only 'cause I love you" Aiden looks at them "what's going on?" he asks Simone and she shakes her head "nothing wrong, but it's not my place to say" she goes and I can see my husband getting anxious; "Simone's gone, now will you tell us what's going on? Jack asks worried, "are you in trouble?" Aiden adds, Amy takes Carl's hand and he looks up…I smile encouraging him "No Aiden, we're not in trouble…at least not yet" Margaux can't hide the smile on her face anymore "you won't be" Carl looks shocked "you know?" Margaux nods "of course I know, I'm your mother" "wait, what does your mother know that I don't?" "Oh my, you're so blind" I say laughing, "you too? Mom why didn't you tell me anything?" Amelia says smiling, "it was your secret…don't worry you'll be fine" "ok, this is pissing me off, now tell us please" Aiden says, I take his hand and he relaxes a little. Carl looks at Amy and then us "Aiden, Dad…Amy…we're dating" he says quietly and Margaux and I hug them "see? I told you, you only needed to be brave" I kiss my daughter's cheek and then I hug Carl "just promise me you will take care of her" he nods "always Emmy"; Amy laughs at something Margaux says to her and Carl rolls his eyes "I can't believe mom is embarrassing me already" I laugh, "come on, I'm your godmother…I know everything about you and she does too" I say pointing Amy… "Aren't you going to say something?" Margaux scolds Jack, he shakes his head "sorry, I was kind of…surprised" he hugs Amy and Carl "I know I'm your father but if you hurt her I'll hurt you, understood?" "clearly dad" "good, now I'm going to let Aiden have a talk with you" Carl looks worried but Aiden smiles at him "well, your dad took the words out of my mouth… I can't say I'm surprised though, I saw this coming a long time ago" our kids blush immediately and Aiden laughs "what? You know it's true… anyway, I can't think of anyone better than you to be my daughter's boyfriend…just don't do anything that will make me change my mind".

**~A&E~**

_I was dying to get here! I can't believe I only have one more to go…. I really, really, really hope you like this one as much as the others, let me know what you think ;)_

_Kisses, Cami _


	12. The Lucky Ones

Chapter Twelve: The lucky ones

Sometimes I wonder how did I get so lucky… the smile on my face can't be bigger and my heart is about to burst with joy watching my daughter and Simone talking and laughing without a care in the world "it feels like yesterday, doesn't it?" Aiden whispers in my ear "what?" I say confused "just yesterday they were babies and now…look at them, talking about wedding dresses" I look at him smiling "our baby is engaged, who saw that coming huh?" we laugh, just like 8 years ago when a very nervous Carl informed us he and Amy were dating, "I can't say I didn't…again" Aiden smiles and holds me tighter "I'm so happy for them, for her… she's getting married with her best friend" he adds, and I hear the happiness in his voice "you know what makes me even happier?" I ask him and he looks curious "what?" "She will never know what a broken heart is".

"Mom! Come here, we want to show you something" Amelia says from outside, "what's going on?" I ask, sitting beside Simone "what do you think of this dress?" She shows me a beautiful Danielle Caprese, with a delicate sweetheart neckline, it's a sheath gown in beaded lace with natural waist and ends perfectly in a chapel train... "Sweetie, it's beautiful…" I say with tears in my eyes, Amelia hugs me "this is the one then" Simone squeals in delight, "I told you! I'm calling my mom immediately" she goes inside and I take Amelia's hands "I still can't believe it" she smiles softly "me either… I always thought I would end up alone, being a genius with a very demanding career, and now here we are" "now it's your turn to be the cover of Voulez" she blushes and I laugh "hey, we've all been through it, now it's your turn" Simone sits beside us "she's right" she adds pointing at me and Amelia rolls her eyes "thank you for that Moon" "don't be silly, you'll love the photo shoot with Margaux".

Two weeks goes by before I receive the edition of Voulez I was waiting for, and when I see the cover a goofy smile appears on my face… I can see my baby with the same dress I wore for my photo shoot with Aiden, Carl has his arms around her waist and smiling at the camera… just like Aiden did. My phone rings and I don't need to look at the screen to know who's calling me… "do you like it?" a very anxious Margaux asks, "I…I don't know what to say, it's exactly the same cover…" "it was her idea, obviously the rest are different but she wanted the cover to be the same… I think you two started a family tradition" I laugh, "wow…who knows?" "by the way, read the article, they don't know anything about it yet, I only sent you an early copy" I start turning the pages "you put pictures of them in Paris?" I can hear her smile "yes! And some of them studying" we laugh, "Simone gave me some too, so there might be a few surprises" "I will read it with Aiden tonight…oh, before I forget Charlotte called" "what did she say?" "she'll be here next month with Josh, Christian has some work so he's flying a couple of weeks later" "good, we still have three months before the wedding and a lot of stuff to do" I sigh "tell me about it" "right? You have to thank heaven Amelia's keeping it simple… I'm sure Simone will drive me crazy when the time comes" she says laughing "let her be, she's just excited because she and Amy will be actual sisters now".

I hang up a while later, "Aiden, where are you?" I start looking for him when I see Nolan's figure standing outside "hey, how are you?" he groans "been better, I hate the media" since the announcement of the engagement of Amelia Mathis and Carl Porter, reporters have been all over us and the kids. "I understand how you feel… but after a few weeks you get used to it, remember when they started dating?" he rolls his eyes "oh yes, I think I'll never forget that, they made such a drama out of their age difference and look at them now" "yeah… hey, did you see Aiden?" he nods "yes, he was on his way to the city" "why?" I ask curious "well he said something about a special gift for the kids" he chuckles "they're not kids anymore" "I know…. Anyway, I started looking into my stuff and I found this", he shows me my delicate silver necklace with a double infinity pendant, "I thought I'd lost it on the beach" I say surprised and Nolan hugs me "now you can give it to Amy, it'll be her something old" I kiss his cheek, and hug him again.

"Hey handsome, what were you doing in the city?" Aiden smiles at me before kissing me "I missed you too beautiful" "I never said I did" I say playfully, he kisses me again "I don't need to hear it, I know it" "mmm, so damn cocky" "I can show you, if you want" I smile into the kiss, "maybe later" I wink and he wraps his arms around me. "Jack showed me the latest Voulez" he says a wile later, "Oh right, Margaux sent us a copy" I go to our room and he follows me "look at it, remember our cover?" I ask him and he seems far away "I will never forget it" he says grabbing me before kissing me slowly, and I'm in heaven. "We should stop… Amelia's coming over" he says and I sigh "the special gift?" he nods, "yes, very special gift".

Just like Aiden said, 20 minutes later Amelia and Carl enter our house "hi mom" she hugs me "how are you sweetie?" "good, kinda nervous but good kind of nervous" I smile and she kisses my cheek before doing the same with Aiden; "Hi Emily" Carl hugs me "hi Carl" "you look beautiful" I blush "oh Carl I already like you so there's no need for that" he kisses my cheek "you're still my godmother, and… it's true"; "stop trying to steal my wife" Aiden says smiling and I go near him "don't worry, Amy already has him" we all laugh. After dinner, I smile looking at Carl and Amy…he has his arm over Amelia's shoulder while she tells Aiden all about her patients; "Amy, Carl… Emily and I have a gift for you" Amelia looks at me, she has always been able to read me like an open book "don't even try it" I say serious, but it doesn't last long when I see Carl smirking "Mom, Dad you don't have to give us something" Amy says and Carl agrees "like always, she's right…" Aiden shakes his head "you don't even know what it is yet" "he's right" I say smiling; Amelia sighs "fine, you win" "good! Here it is" he gives them a key I know extremely well, "no dad, you didn't!" Amy says with tears in her eyes, Aiden takes her hands "yes I did, our lovely villa in Capri…is now yours" "you two deserve it" I say and they still haven't said anything…. "and what do you think? Aiden asks sweetly "I don't know what to say" I take my godson's hand "then don't say anything, just make our baby happy every single day" Aiden says "keep making her happy every day" I correct my husband, "don't doubt it" Carl says and Amelia kisses him.

Before I realize, we're picking Charlotte and her family at the airport. Margaux is impatient "they should be here by now" Jack pulls her closer to him "Babe their flight just landed, you know how this works" she huffs in frustration, I have a huge smile on my face… it's been 2 years since our last trip to Berlin and I miss my sister "the kids will be thrilled!" I say and Aiden nods "Amelia still believes Charlotte's flying next month with Christian" "Oh Josh must be so big" Margaux says excited "he must be so excited to finally visit the states" Jack adds and I agree "I know, Charlotte is equally excited to have him here… she also told me she had a surprise for us". We wait for another 20 minutes until I feel a little someone crashing with my legs "Emmy!" I hug my nephew "Josh, look how big you are" I say surprised, he's only eleven but apparently he will be as tall as his father "Josh, go say hello to your godparents" I hear Charlotte's voice, I watch Carl hugging Jack and Margaux, before I hug my dear sister and I feel something… "Charlotte, I thought you…oh my god, is that what I think it is?" she nods "I'm pregnant Ems, 4 months to be exact" I hug her tighter "I'm going to be an aunt again!" "yes, another little niece" Aiden gets near us "congratulations Charlotte" he hugs her and I can't stop smiling, she receives more hugs from Margaux and Jack, "we actually have another surprise for you but, why don't we go to the house first?" Aiden and Jack take their luggage and Margaux takes Josh's hand "yeah, let's get out of here".

On the way back, I text Nolan and the kids to let them know we're on the way "so, none of them knows I'm here?" Charlotte asks and Josh giggles, Aiden shakes his head "Well, Nolan does but the kids believe we're only getting together for lunch" Jack laughs from the driver's seat "you have to let them know you're pregnant first or they'll jump on you" Margaux laughs too "I'm sure Nolan will be able to control them" "Right!" we all say at the same time, before laughing again.

Aiden pulls over our front yard and I can see Nolan, Carl and the girls smiling "About time! I'm starving…" Simone says exaggerating "Moon, stop complaining…" Charlotte yells behind the car and the three of them run to her side "Charlie!" "Careful with the pregnant lady kids" Aiden says and their eyes light up, including Nolan's "I missed you so much" I hear Amy telling her while Nolan makes his way through them "get away kiddos it's my time to congratulate her" he says and we all laugh "so, new nephew or niece?" Charlotte hugs him "niece" Nolan's eyes widen "we will always be outnumbered won't we?" Josh laughs "I'm kinda hungry too" Simone raises her arms "let's go Josh, you're not the only one" Amelia and Carl follow them inside, while we all hug Charlotte once again "welcome home".

"I can't believe you're 24… and you 27!" Charlotte says to the girls and Carl before they leave "I feel so old" she says and Margaux puts her hand on her shoulder "imagine how I feel, my boy is getting married" I raise an eyebrow "and you're just getting started" Charlotte smiles, "I can't wait to see my Josh like this though…" "what do you mean?" I ask "look at Amy and Carl, so in love, so happy…and Simone so independent, so strong" "so stubborn" Margaux adds laughing and Jack yells "just like her mother" we laugh and Charlotte puts her hands on her growing belly "by the way, how's Voulez doing?" Margaux smiles "amazing! About a month ago we did the cover with Carl and Amy… and Simone's doing great too, when the time comes I know the magazine will be in good hands" she says proudly "I bet Pascal would be proud" Charlotte says fondly and Margaux eyes cloud for a moment, I take her hand "we all miss him". The guys sit with us, "hey Charlotte, what's the other surprise?" Aiden asks, he's so curious. Charlotte laughs "I knew you wouldn't be able to wait" "c'mon tell us" Nolan says, sounding like a little kid… Charlotte smiles at them "Christian has a job offer here in the US, we're staying here".

After that, days flew by so fast… Nolan hands me a tissue while I'm trying to stop my tears. We're all waiting for Amelia's grand entrance, Carl stands smiling nervously at the altar with his best man trying to keep him calm. "it's time" Nolan whispers when the music starts and we watch a radiant Simone making her way to the altar, Josh follows her with the rings and then I see my smiling husband with our daughter by his side, "She looks gorgeous, doesn't she?" I whisper to Nolan "she does Ems, she does" he says proud, Amelia stops beside me and gives me a kiss "I love you mom" I smile "I love you too honey". Aiden kisses her hand and then put it in Carl's hand, they're smiling and I can see a few tears escaping Amy's eyes. Aiden wraps his arms around me and kisses me "I love you" "I love you too Aiden". The priest asks them if they have their own vows and both nod "Amelia Mathis, I… wow, I can't believe we're here today, you have been my best friend my whole life and I think I've been in love with you my whole life… I used to lie to myself saying I loved you like a sister because how could a beautiful genius like you notice me? I remember the first time you told me you loved me, we were outside your house studying and my heart was about to burst! I wanted to tell you how I felt so bad and thank god you were braver than me- Amy chuckles- from that day, you've made me the happiest man on earth and today I promise you I will try to do the same for you for the rest of our lives" Aiden and I are crying, I'm so so happy for them. "Carl Porter, I will never forget that day… never, I remember being there trying to focus on my report but it was impossible I needed to tell you how I felt so badly but I wasn't sure…then I remembered something my mom said _you must be brave _and I just spit it out. You're my first and only love, the love of my life, the one and I'm so glad I am yours… and I'll be by your side every day for the rest of our lives, just like I promised you 8 years ago, because I always knew this was forever". I see Jack hugging Margaux and Aiden whispers in my ear "I love you" I kiss him deeply, "I love you too" I say putting my head on his shoulder.

Simone stands "Ok, the maid of honor speech time now!" she says excited. Moon looks at Carl and Amy "My older brother and my very best friend, who I love like a sister… I'll be lying if I said I never saw this coming, because c'mon! he might be the best brother in the whole world but no sixteen year old in his right mind would rather hang out with his little sister and her bff on a friday night than going out with his friends, you two belong together and what makes me even happier is that now, we legally are sisters!" we all raise our glasses laughing, the venue's crowded with friends and family, even a few of Margaux's nieces and nephews are here. After the new husband and wife's first dance, Aiden and I approach them "do you mind?" he asks Carl and he shakes his head "Emmy" he says softly "it's been years since the last time you called me that" I say smiling, he holds me tighter "my godson and my son in law, I bet your mother is jumping up there" he looks at me "you think?" "she's just as proud of you as I am Carl" he kisses my cheek "I love you Emmy"; the song finishes and now it's Margaux and Jack's turn, Aiden takes my hand while we dance together and I watch Christian doing the same with Charlotte and Simone dragging Nolan to the dance floor.

I sigh and Aiden pulls me closer to him, "hey, what's going on?" he says worried, "nothing bad…just thinking" I smile at him "about?" "us, our family… I always thought I wouldn't live long enough to have all this" he kisses my forehead "that makes two of us, but we raised a beautiful and very, very smart young woman; we have a big family around us and the rest of our lives ahead of us". Later in the night I can finally sit down and talk quietly with my daughter, she's smiling and glowing with happiness "thanks for the necklace again mom" she says touching the pendant "now you can pass it to your daughter when the time comes" I hug her "so, how does it feel to be married so far?" her smile gets bigger "as happy as I've always been with him" "good, now go and let Margaux have a couple of pictures of you" "Mooom, I don't want to" she complains and I smile "for me please?" I kiss her cheek and she stands up "just for you". I watch my family laughing at something Christian said and I feel tears pooling in my eyes. 28 years ago I felt like my life had no way out, like I had no future ahead of me…like the Graysons took everything from me, I now realize how wrong I was…they didn't take anything from me, from us… it was the other way around, they gave me my future on a silver platter. "Ems, come here!" Nolan yells and I join them on the dance floor, we spend the rest of the night dancing and laughing… and sharing the occasional embarrassing story about the bride or the groom, like the big and loud family we are.

**~A&E~**

_This is it, the last chapter… it feels like a long journey is over. Sorry for the delay, I had this done a while ago but my birthday got in the way and then my life went into "chaos mode" so I didn't have time to post it. Anyway, I'm going to miss this universe… and even though right now I don't have any plans for a sequel or something like that , I might come back to it later. _

_Thank you again to every single one of you who took the time to write a few words, and to all of you that took the time to read this story… like I'm always telling you it means so much to me! _

_For the last time, I hope you enjoyed this journey as much as I did, and specially this last chapter. _

_Kisses, Cami_


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